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10 months ago
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Gerhard Ackerman was handed multiple life sentences for crimes related to the sex abuse ring he ran in Gauteng.
- Gerhard Ackerman was sentenced to life imprisonment for crimes linked to the child sex abuse ring he ran.
- He immediately told the court he wanted to challenge his trial and had fired his lawyer.
- However, Ackerman has since missed the deadline to file papers for the legal challenge.
Child sex abuse ring kingpin Gerhard Ackerman has missed his deadline to file papers in his seemingly absurd challenge against his conviction and sentence.
In August, the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg handed him multiple life sentences for crimes related to the sex abuse ring he ran in Gauteng.
Straight after Judge Mohamed Ismail passed sentence, the court heard Ackerman wanted to bring an application for a "retrial" and he had fired his Legal Aid attorney.
While the concept of a retrial and bringing such an application does not exist in South African law, Ackerman claimed he was entitled to a new trial based on claims of irregularities in the trial, new evidence, and the incorrect interpretation of the law, but refused to elaborate.
In law, the only remedy available to Ackerman is to apply for leave to appeal.
EXCLUSIVE | Child sex trafficker Gerhard Ackerman found guilty of molesting a boy in Joburg
Ismail ordered that Ackerman file papers pertaining to his challenge by 15 November.
However, Ackerman missed the deadline.
The court confirmed on Wednesday he had not yet submitted his papers for the application, which is expected to be argued on 30 November.
It remains to be seen whether Ackerman will file an application for condonation.
Plainly evil man
While handing down sentence on the more than 700 charges Ackerman was found guilty of, Ismail said the child sex abuse ring kingpin was a "plainly evil man" who showed no remorse for the teenage victims he trafficked, groomed and exploited sexually for his own gain.
Ackerman was given 12 life sentences for each of the rape and human trafficking counts, including the rape of minors.
Ismail also painstakingly sentenced him for all the other crimes he committed, which included the sexual exploitation of minors, sexual grooming of minors, attempted murder, creating child pornography, exposing himself to children and sexual assault.
In addition, Ackerman was sentenced to 50 years' imprisonment for the hundreds of images and videos of child pornography found on his laptop and cellphone.
READ | Convicted sex trafficker and child rapist Gerhard Ackerman sentenced to life imprisonment
The court also remarked on Ackerman's defence that his actions were altruistic and only helping less fortunate teenagers by giving them skills and work.
"You are not a benevolent, caring person. In fact, on the contrary, you are a manipulative, cunning man who lured these vulnerable children to achieve your own ends by engaging these children to perform lewd acts solely to benefit yourself," Ismail said.
"You exposed them to the abuse of other men and [HIV]; you are by no means a humanitarian or caring person."
Paul Kennedy
Most of the crimes Ackerman was found guilty of were related to his possession of child porn and the child sex abuse ring he masterminded with the help of well-known advocate and acting judge Paul Kennedy.
Kennedy was arrested and charged alongside Ackerman in 2021 but killed himself before the trial started.
In his judgment convicting Ackerman, Ismail said Kennedy took his own life because he realised his days were numbered when he was arrested.
READ | Child sex abuse ring: Gerhard Ackerman found guilty of child porn charges, sex trafficking, grooming
In fact, Ackerman was guilty of crimes committed by Kennedy through the doctrine of common purpose.
These crimes included sexual assault and the rapes of three minor boys aged 14, 15 and 16.
The court also found Ackerman had delivered the three victims to Kennedy's home despite knowing the advocate was HIV-positive and knowing they would be forced to perform sexual acts.
This led to Ackerman's conviction for attempted murder.
Child sex abuse ring
In running the child sex abuse ring, Ackerman would find teenage boys from poor and troubled families on social media. Most of the boys were between the ages of 14 and 16.
He would then gain their trust and offer them work at his "massage parlour", which was effectively a front for his sex abuse business.
After convincing the boys to work as masseurs, Ackerman trafficked them to the brothel and harboured them.
READ | While running child sex abuse ring, Gerhard Ackerman also preyed on children in public bathrooms
The boys were then sexually groomed and sold for sexual services to a large list of clients, including Kennedy.
WhatsApp conversations between Ackerman and his clients proved he had facilitated, set prices and charged clients to have sex and perform other sexual acts with the teenagers.
In one voice note, Ackerman can be heard making two teenage boys available for sexual acts in return for payment.
He told the client the man would pay R1 200 to make one boy available, and it would cost R2 000 for both boys.
In another conversation, a client asked if Ackerman had a boy he could have sex with. Ackerman responded he had "one of those" and also gave a price of R1000.
