The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) has launched a full-scale investigation after convicted child rapist and model agency boss Dawie de Villiers was found in possession of a cellphone while serving a life sentence in Johannesburg Central Prison.

News24 can exclusively reveal that correctional services officers searched De Villiers’ prison cell on Thursday morning and found a cellphone, which he allegedly used while behind bars.

The discovery was made after a News24 probe into allegations that social media accounts linked to De Villiers were active since he started serving his sentence in July 2019.

De Villiers was sentenced to life in prison for raping and sexually assaulting several teenage girls and young women. Among his rape victims was a girl who was 15 years old at the time.

He faced more than 20 counts, including rape, sexual assault, indecent assault, sexual grooming as well as the possession and accessing of child pornography. It was found he committed the crimes during a five-year period from 2008 to 2013.