A magician who once appeared on Australia’s Got Talent under the stage name ‘Ghupi’ has been jailed for 13 years for sexually abusing three boys.
Dewald Venter, 29, was once a familiar face in Perth CBDs, performing magic tricks and escape routines for passing customers.
He was found guilty of sexually assaulting three teenage boys over a four-year period beginning in 2011 on September 30. WToday reports.
On Friday, Venter was sentenced to thirteen and a half years behind bars. During the court hearing he used magic tricks to get close to his victims.
A magician who once appeared on Australia’s Got Talent under the stage name ‘Ghupi’ has been sentenced to 13 years in prison for sexually abusing three boys (photo, Dewald Venter)
Dewald Venter, 29, was once a well-known face in Perth CBDs, performing magic tricks and teaching masterclasses for children across the city (pictured on Australia’s Got Talent)
Prosecutor Joel Grinceri said Venter approached his first victim, an eight-year-old boy who felt confused about his sexuality, on an online chat forum.
Venter told the teen he was looking for “experimental fun” before meeting him at a skate park. He then drove the boy to a construction site and assaulted him.
The abuse continued, once in a public toilet, before the boy contacted police.
Venter was acquitted of two charges involving a girl who was 15 years old at the time he committed the offence. His sentence expired on February 5, 2022.
He will be eligible for parole after eleven and a half years behind bars.
Venter, who holds world records for his escape routines, also gave magical masterclasses for children in Perth and the United States.
On Friday, Venter (photo) was sentenced to thirteen and a half years in prison. During the court hearing he used magic tricks to get close to his victims.