{
  "id": 11450216,
  "title": "44 women come forward in KZN Midlands sexual abuse scandal",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/44-women-come-forward-in-kzn-midlands-sexual-abuse-scandal",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-02T13:26:18.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Citizen",
    "slug": "the-citizen",
    "url": "https://www.citizen.co.za/news/44-women-come-forward-kzn-midlands-sexual-abuse-scandal/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a shocking revelation from KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, over 44 women and girls have come forward accusing a man of a decade-long sexual abuse scandal. Private investigator Brad Nathanson appealed for information on social media, leading to the allegations against the unnamed individual from Hilton. The victims range from children as young as 11 to women as old as 70, all allegedly groomed and abused by the man, primarily at a prestigious private school in the area. Nathanson alleges the man used various social media platforms, starting with Mxit and BlackBerry Messenger in 2014, and progressed to Instagram and WhatsApp, to communicate with and abuse the victims. He obtained the contact details of underage girls through his social media contacts and allegedly sent explicit photos and videos to them, sometimes without any prior conversation. The abuse reportedly continued into adulthood, with one woman alleging a relationship and sexual encounters with the man when she was around 45. The man's actions were not confined to just the children; former female colleagues also contacted Nathanson, alleging inappropriate communication through Instagram and the use of disappearing messages. Nathanson's investigation also raised questions about what adults and institutions may have known about the abuse. A teacher at the private school had received complaints about young girls back in 2017, but nothing was done for three months before the teacher reported the matter to school management and then to the police. However, the case fell through the cracks as the investigating officer died and his dockets were redistributed. Nathanson has been working to bring these women's stories to light and ensure their accounts are formally recorded, creating a safe space for them to speak without fear.",
  "summary": "A financial services professional in Hilton is accused of grooming and abusing women for more than a decade.",
  "key_points": [
    "Over 44 women and girls accused a man of a decade-long sexual abuse in KZN Midlands.",
    "Private investigator Brad Nathanson used social media platforms to communicate with victims."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}