South African Accused of Soliciting Sexual Images of Rochester Teen Through Snapchat

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- A South African man is facing charges in Olmsted County for allegedly soliciting sexual images from a teenage girl from Rochester. 

See Also: Blizzard Warning, New Snowfall Prediction Issued for Minnesota 

That’s according to a warrant complaint filed in Olmsted County Court on Monday. The defendant in the case was accused of committing a similar act in northern Minnesota's St. Louis County. 

Rochester police began investigating the sexually explicit messages in April of 2023. An adult in the victim’s life reported seeing numerous sexually explicit photos sent from the victim’s Snapchat account to another user, the charges say. 

Get our free mobile app

Charges: South African Man Obtained Sexually Explicit Images from Rochester Teen Girl, Threatened Her

One of the images involved the victim, who told the Snapchat user she was 15, and another girl who was under the age of 6, according to the court document. 

In an interview with law enforcement, the victim said she had begun messaging a person on an app called Purp before shifting the conversation to Snapchat, where the sexually explicit images were sent, the warrant says. 

The victim said the person she sent the images to would threaten her if she did not send images depicting sexual acts requested by the Snapchat user, according to the complaint. 

During the investigation, police learned of a similar case under investigation in St. Louis County that identified 35-year-old Terrance Govender as the suspected user of a snapchat account soliciting sexually explicit images from a minor, the complaint says. 

A search warrant obtained for Govender’s Snapchat account linked him to the account that was soliciting sexually explicit images from the Rochester teen victim. Police also found the account was reported to Snapchat for sexstortion in June of 2023, the charges say. 

Govender is charged with two counts of using minors in pornographic work, possession of pornographic work and a count aiding and abetting second-degree criminal sexual conduct.

 The charges against Govender are being brought through a warrant due to his South African residency.

The court filing indicates he is also suspected of similar criminal activity in Missouri and that other agencies have already begun the international extradition process.