A self-proclaimed "prophet" who allegedly lured a 16-year-old girl by claiming he could offer divine intervention for her problems, has been denied bail, Limpopo police said on Tuesday.
John Mulambo, 31, allegedly sent her a text message luring her to a church service in a village outside Thohoyandou, said Lieutenant Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe.
"On her arrival, the suspect... took her towards the said church and, on the way, he instructed her to have sex with him in order to acquire mystical powers."
The girl refused.
Read: Rapist 'prophet' gets two life sentences
The "prophet" allegedly then raped her and forced her to wear black clothing from a bag he was carrying.
The girl was taken into the church, where a group of people were wearing black clothes too, said Ngoepe.
At some point, Mulambo fled the scene. Police officers tracked him down and arrested him in the village of Lwamondo Mathule.
The Thohoyandou Magistrate's Court this week ruled that he would remain in custody until his next appearance on September 7, said Ngoepe.
The police warned citizens to be wary of "unscrupulous" individuals disguising themselves as prophets.
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