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Child sex offender Gerhard Ackerman awaits his fate in court

By Shona Buhr
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Gerhard Ackerman sentencing
Convicted child rapist and human trafficker Gerhard Ackerman has requested to put forward a motion for a new trial.

Convicted rapist and child sex offender Gerhard Ackerman is expected to hear his fate when the high court in Johannesburg hands down sentencing on Monday.

He was found guilty of more than 700 charges including rape, attempted kidnapping, sexual exploitation, sexual grooming, and possession of child pornography.

During his appearance in July, prosecutor Valencia Dube asked the court not to deviate from imposing a life sentence for each of the 22 rape and child trafficking convictions.

“The court should also consider the well-thought-out execution of a plan by the accused to bring the children to the accused’s place of residence,” argued Dube during trial.

“He was the main person bringing the kids and he was the one speaking to parents and arranging for transport.” 

During trial, the court heard that Ackerman allegedly abused boys aged between 14 and 16, groomed them, and benefited financially from facilitating their services with clients.

He pleaded not guilty to rape, human trafficking, distribution of child pornography, and sexual assault. 

More than 1 000 pornographic images and videos were retrieved from Ackerman’s laptop and a further 600 others were retrieved from his cellphone. 

These included photos of toddlers being raped and performing sexual acts on adults.

Finding Ackerman guilty as charged in April, judge Mahomed Ambivalent remarked: “The accused’s evidence was so poor and contradictory, it should be rejected. It is clear he made a living off the sexual exploitation of children.”

His co-accused and main client Paul Kennedy died by suicide while out on bail in 2022.

Mohamed said Ackerman unlawfully encouraged boys to also perform sexual acts on Kennedy, knowing that he was HIV-positive.

“That he [Kennedy] took his own life is not surprising. He realised the game was up and committed suicide.”

The 52-year-old Ackerman previously told the court that he used to operate a massage parlour where the treatments would end with sexual acts, which he called happy endings.

 

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  • Convicted rapist and child sex offender Gerhard Ackerman is expected to hear his fate when the high court in Johannesburg hands down sentencing on Monday.
  • He was found guilty of more than 700 charges including rape, attempted kidnapping, sexual exploitation, sexual grooming, and possession of child pornography.
  • During his appearance in July, prosecutor Valencia Dube asked the court not to deviate from imposing a life sentence for each of the 22 rape and child trafficking convictions.
  • “The court should also consider the well-thought-out execution of a plan by the accused to bring the children to the accused’s place of residence,” argued Dube during trial.
  • “He was the main person bringing the kids and he was the one speaking to parents and arranging for transport.”  During trial, the court heard that Ackerman allegedly abused boys aged between 14 and 16, groomed them, and benefited financially from facilitating their services with clients.