Prosecutor Arveena Persad read out a string of 38 charges to De Villiers, who stood listening attentively in the dock.

De Villiers, wearing a blue tie and grey jacket, pleaded “not guilty” to all charges.

A confident-looking De Villiers brought a voice recorder which he placed in front of him during proceedings.

De Villiers, 35, from Kempton Park, is the owner of Model South Africa.

He is accused of committing the crimes between 2011 and 2013, most of them allegedly in Kempton Park.

De Villiers is alleged to have exposed pornography to two children, between 2011 and 2013.

On the charges of rape and sexual assault, De Villiers allegedly sexually assaulted a female, then aged 14, in Rustenburg in 2011.

“The accused did unlawfully and intentionally injure and impair the dignity of the complainant by inserting his fingers under her ski pants,” said Persad.

In the same year, he allegedly raped a female, then aged 15, in Kempton Park. De Villiers allegedly groomed the 15-year-old girl, requesting photographs of her private parts and asking her to be in a relationship with him.

Another sexual assault charge was allegedly committed between 2006 and 2007 in Alberton, on an adult female.

“You unlawfully or intentionally committed sexual assault on an adult female, by penetrating her with your penis in her anus without her consent,” said Persad.

De Villiers allegedly held a minor in 2008 and tried kissing her in Randburg.

“You then sent her a text message in which you said you would make her experience an orgasm with your tongue and hands.”

He further requested another girl, then aged 15 in 2011, to send him a photo of her vagina, the court heard.

“Furthermore, in 2009, in Bryanston, you pushed yourself against the naked body of a female, then aged 21,” Persad said.

De Villiers further threatened to kill the female in the same year.

Of the 38 charges, 11 are about fraud and theft involving thousands of rands.

The model agency owner allegedly took cash from people but did not deliver on his promises. In one charge, he is accused of entering into a partnership with Dominigue Rensleigh in 2009 with the intention to defraud him.

Rensleigh claims that de Villiers stole R200,000 from him.

Another alleged victim was Renee Viljoen who gave R50,000 to De Villiers in 2011. Persad said De Villiers promised to pay Viljoen R2,000 a month after taking the money from her, which he said was for a block of shares in his company. He only paid one installment, Persad said.

“The accused did this with the intention to defraud the complainant, by promising he would pay her a sum of R2,000 a month in exchange of R50,000 that she paid for shares in his company. The accused prejudiced her to an amount of R48000.”

The trial resumes on Wednesday.

ANA