Judgment in the trial of Gerhard Ackerman, who faces more than 740 counts of crime, including rape, attempted murder, human trafficking, and the production and distribution of child pornography, was delayed after the presiding judge reported he was too ill to oversee Wednesday’s proceedings.
A ‘sick note’ delays Gerhard Ackerman judgment
The judgment is now expected to be read over two days from Monday, 24 April 2023.
As reported by IOL News, Ackerman was charged alongside acting judge and senior advocate Paul Kennedy for allegedly operating a child trafficking ring between September 2020 and July 2021.
Kennedy, a central figure in the massage parlour sex ring, could not bear the brunt of his tarnished reputation as a respected figure in South Africa’s legal industry and committed suicide before the trial.
Both men were charged with a heap of sex crimes, which include`:
- sexually grooming children;
- possession of child pornography;
- producing child pornography;
- rape;
- sexual assault;
- human trafficking;
- sexually grooming minors; and
- profiting from the sexual exploitation of minors.
Ackerman was previously arrested for allegedly assaulting an 11-year-old boy and was granted bail in that case.
However, in January 2023, he dodged his court appearance, and was later arrested in Florida in Gauteng.
Ackerman’s testimony during the trial was described as contradictory, with his versions constantly changing.
The accused sex sadist denied any involvement in running a child sex haven for prominent clientelle, including the production of explicit videos of a 15-year-old boy that were made and sent to his most prominent client, Judge Kennedy,
However, the State asserted that Ackerman’s claim of operating a massage with a “happy ending” that did not involve sex with minors was nothing more than a fabrication, and that the boys were also made to perform other sexual acts on clients, which prosecutors argued, was a gross violation of the Sexual Offences Act.
The trial also revealed that Ackerman had hundreds of images and videos of child pornography on his cellphone and laptop. Despite the Sexual Offences Act being clear that this was the sexual exploitation of children, Ackerman saw no issue, claiming that if a minor is old enough to consent, then it must be legal.
