The WMACA advocacy team were in the JHB High Court today following the trial of deceased Advocate Kennedy and his 52-year-old Afrikaans male co-accused, Gerhard Ackerman. State prosecutor Dube presented 700 charges against him so far, with more to be presented tomorrow including approximately 645 charges of child pornography on multiple levels. He pleaded not guilty to all 700 charges put to him so far.
Ackerman also faces 18 charges of trafficking in persons, which in this case refers to children being trafficked to adults for payment for sexual abuse. There is also 37 sexual offense charges of grooming, sexual assault, rape, compelled sexual assault, and sexual exploitation of children by both accused and other unknown adult males. It’s said that male clients would purchase these children, sexually abuse them, and pay the accused who then took a portion of that money for his own benefit.
There are 6 known alleged male child victims, and up to 11 who are part of the case including young adults recruited to abuse the children for the adults to watch.
The abuse is alleged to have happened at residences in Sandringham and Saxonwold.
Ackerman also currently faces a child sexual offenses case in the Alexandra Magistrate Court.
His bail was extended and the trial resumes tomorrow.
For further comment, please contact:
Miranda Jordan: 083 250 6821
Luke Lamprecht: 065 168 2971
