Sex ring kingpin Gerhard Ackerman. | Itumeleng English/African News Agency (ANA)
Johannesburg - Convicted sex trafficker Gerhard Ackerman suffers from a “pervasive paedophilic disorder”, which means the sex ring leader who sold boys to his moneyed clients cannot be rehabilitated.
These are the words of clinical psychologist Colonel Kirsten Clarke during convicted sex and child porn ring leader Ackerman’s sentencing before the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg.
Ackerman, who ran a sex and porn ring against young boys, appeared for the resumption of his sentencing yesterday.
State prosecutor advocate Valencia Dube argued for the maximum possible sentence to be imposed against Ackerman, who was charged with 700 rape, attempted murder, porn, and child trafficking counts.
Dube also dismissed Ackerman’s psychological report, which was meant to give an account of the sex trafficker’s state of mind, saying the report, which was instrumental in the postponement of the matter for over three months, had not been presented to the court in time to be considered as part of his mitigation of sentencing.
Instead, Dube called on the testimony of clinical psychologist Colonel Kirsten Clarke, who gave her account of Ackerman’s state of mind.
Clarke indicated to the court that Ackerman was suffering from a "pervasive paedophilic disorder," and even under medical treatment, the chances of his rehabilitation were next to nothing.
"His preference for child porn and sexual preference for young boys suggest that the accused suffers from a pervasive paedophilic disorder. It was possible to diagnose this particular disorder in Mr Ackerman, and his behaviour suggests that his collection of child pornographic material and preference for having sexual preferences for young boys are indicative of this type of disorder.
“The chances of the accused being rehabilitated are very slim, as he sees nothing wrong with his behaviour. This is part of his orientation and make-up, and even with the use of medication, the behaviour has become pervasive," Clarke said.
Ackerman, who continued to disrupt proceedings more than once, was warned of his disruptive behaviour by Judge Mahomed Ismail, who warned him that his behaviour would not be tolerated at this late stage of sentencing proceedings.
“I will not tolerate your behaviour any longer. Whatever you want to say, Mr Ackerman, I urge you to speak to your counsel. I am not going to tolerate you blurting out and pointing fingers,” Judge Ismail said.
Dube said Ackerman had been found guilty of eight counts of attempted murder and 22 counts of rape and child trafficking, which demanded the State impose the harshest possible sentence.
When asked what sentence she was proposing for the more than 250 convictions for possession of child pornography, Dube said she would be requesting a separate sentence for each conviction.
Ismail said the sentence Dube was seeking would run into thousands of years. The judge ordered Dube to consult with her colleague and Ackerman’s legal council in order to come to an understanding.
The matter was postponed, with the sentencing expected to be handed down on August 14.
The Star
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