The media has been hailed after a man, facing a raft of charges relating to an allegedly child sex racket, was tracked down after skipping his court appearance last week.
IOL previously reported that Gerhard Ackerman pleaded not guilty to 740 charges, ranging from rape, attempted murder, distribution of child porn and human trafficking of minor children to sexual exploitation.
He was due back in court on last Thursday week, but according to the National Prosecuting Authority, he failed to do so and a warrant of arrest was issued.
NPA spokesperson, Phindi Mjonondwane, explained that State advocate Valencia Dube approached the court with an urgent application to have Ackerman's bail cancelled, following his failure to comply with the court order to furnish the State with a doctor's note on Friday.
She said the investigation team, comprising of Captain Banks and Warrant Officer Pelser acted swiftly and visited his place of residence after realising that the accused has become unreachable.
"On arrival they found that the accused moved out and sold all his movable assets. He has since disappeared, which is a contravention of the bail conditions.
“He was granted R6 000 bail by the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court in 2021 on condition that he reports to the nearest police station daily; he is not allowed to leave Gauteng without permission from the investigating officer; and he is not allowed to be in possession of a laptop or cellphone to access the internet," she said.
The NPA issued a statement on Saturday about what had transpired and the media immediately shared the information.
By Saturday evening, Ackerman had been apprehended.
"The role played by the South African media in his apprehension must be applauded as the images circulated by the media led to members of the public spotting Ackerman in Florida, in the west of Johannesburg . They immediately arrested him and called the local police who acted swiftly to effect the warrant of arrest," Mjonondwane said.
Ackerman is alleged to have worked with his co-accused, Acting Judge Paul Kennedy, who has since committed suicide, in an alleged sex ring that lured young boys.
These young boys were allegedly sexually groomed, raped and exposed to pornographic material.
IOL