3 years ago
1
ARTICLE AD BOX
Gerhard Ackerman Photo: Alex Mitchley/News24
- Gerhard Ackerman is on trial for allegedly raping young boys and running a child sex abuse ring.
- On Monday, he made several admissions in the Gauteng High Court.
- Ackerman claimed that one of the teenagers he was filmed having sex with had consented to intercourse.
Alleged child sex abuse ring kingpin Gerhard Ackerman has admitted to filming himself having sex with a 16-year-old boy.
Ackerman appeared in the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg on Monday for the continuation of his trial.
Ackerman's legal aid attorney Herman Alberts started by dealing with the Section 220 admissions, where certain facts in the case are admitted by the defence.
As part of the admissions, Ackerman conceded to an excerpt of a Facebook conversation with a 16-year-old boy.
The teenager asks Ackerman if he has ever had sex with "boys".
READ | How cops arrested Paul Kennedy and Gerhard Ackerman for allegedly running a child sex abuse ring
The accused responds that he had sex with a 16-year-old boy and enjoyed it.
Ackerman also admitted that two videos found on his cellphone were of him having intercourse with a 16-year-old boy with "consent."
The Sexual Offences Act stipulates that the age for legal consent is 16 years old. At the same time, anyone under 18 years old is legally considered a child.
Conversations with clients
In conversations with clients, Ackerman admits to discussing prices and saying how "hot" one of the 15-year-old victims was.
The admissions also included WhatsApp text conversations and voice notes between Ackerman and senior advocate Paul Kennedy.
This includes telling Kennedy that one of the boys was a virgin, Kennedy asking what the boys were willing to do, and discussing prices for videos of the boys.
ALSO READ | Child sex abuse trial: Ackerman 'knew' Kennedy was HIV-positive when he allegedly sent minors to him
Ackerman also admitted that Kennedy was a prominent client in his massage business and that the advocate recruited clients for the parlour.
He further admitted to several bank payments made to him by Kennedy.
Ackerman has pleaded not guilty to 740 charges, including rape, sexual assault, human trafficking, and the sexual grooming of children.
He has claimed that he ran a legitimate massage parlour and that if any of the masseurs had sexual relations with clients, it was of their own volition.
Kennedy was initially arrested and charged alongside Ackerman, but died by suicide before the trial started.
The trial continues.
English (US)