He faces a combined 60-year jail term for rape and defilement if court decides otherwise in his bid. Mojadigo, who is already serving a 20-year prison sentence for rape, was recently handed an additional 40-year imprisonment term. The sentence came after he was convicted on two counts of defilement by Mochudi Magistrate Queen Moanga for defiling a 17-year-old congregant back in 2023. The latest court appearance adds to the legal troubles of the disgraced pastor, who now faces three separate rape charges involving a minor from Francistown. Before Magistrate Moanga delivered her sentence, Mojadigo pleaded with the court to be lenient when passing sentence on him. Despite mitigating factors, Mojadigo maintained that he was not guilty of any defilement offence, notwithstanding the court's conviction. “I have always maintained that I have not pleaded guilty and I still maintain my innocence. But in my extenuating circumstances I would like to note that I have children and I have been in custody for a long time,” Mojadigo said. Mojadigo further pleaded with the court to be lenient with him as he was already serving a separate 20-year rape sentence.
“I would plead that the sentences run concurrently and for them to be backdated to the time I was incarcerated,” Mojadigo submitted. However, Prosecutor Seeletso Ookeditse argued that the court should not be lenient with the convict and that the sentences should run consecutively. “Our law does not allow that, particularly for rape and any other offence to run concurrently to any other sentence you may be serving, and on backdating it, we don’t have a problem,” she said. Ookeditse further argued that the court should not be lenient with Mojadigo, describing his actions as inhumane and accusing him of taking advantage of young children who were still wet behind their ears. “There are aggravating factors like abuse of authority. We have heard the convict was a pastor in a church that was attended by a victim, so he used his position to manipulate the minor at the time to have sex with her,” she said. The prosecution elaborated that the convict took advantage of a minor who had only sought spiritual assistance from him, but instead ended up being sexually assaulted. “There was exploitation of the victim who sought spiritual intervention only for her to be abused in a setting we don’t expect it to happen. Evidence shows that the victim was groomed and selectively offered special attention by the convict,” Ookeditse said. Ookeditse further argued that Mojadigo was a repeat offender, a position disputed by both the convict and Magistrate Moanga. “I want to disagree with Ookeditse that he is a previous offender because it becomes unfair,” the magistrate said. After considering arguments from both sides, Magistrate Moanga delivered her sentence. “You have been convicted of three offences of defilement. Counts one and two will be 20 years each but will run concurrently. Whilst count four will also be 20 years but will run consecutively, and they will be backdated,” she ordered. She further ordered that the defilement sentences run consecutively with Mojadigo's existing 20-year rape sentence, bringing his combined prison term to 60 years. Meanwhile, Mojadigo is expected to appear before Village Senior Magistrate Tshepo Thedi on Tuesday for a ruling on his no-case-to-answer application in a separate matter involving a minor from Francistown. In that case, the disgraced pastor faces three counts of rape, with the court expected to determine whether the prosecution has established a case requiring him to present his defence.
