Gerhard Ackerman set to hear fate on Monday

Ackerman is facing some 700 charges rape, child trafficking, and the production and distribution of child pornography, among others.

Judge Ismail Mahomed postponed judgment, which was due to start on Wednesday, due to illness. 

The 52-year-old pleaded not guilty to the multitude of charges against him, despite being found in possession of hundreds of images and videos depicting sexual acts on minors.

He also admitted to running a massage parlour where teenage boys were expected to engage in sexual acts with adult men in what the accused previously described as "happy endings".

Sitting in the dock with his legs chained while he paged through a notepad, the accused smirked at news cameras while saying: "Go ahead. It's not like I can stop you."

READ: Alleged sex ring mastermind Gerhard Ackerman case 'test for trafficking laws'

Visibly irritated, a soft-spoken Ackerman abrasively folded his arms across his chest before telling reporters that he believed he did nothing wrong.

"What did I do wrong? Tell me. You can't tell me."

Asked if he saw no fault in allegations, he handed over young boys to now deceased lawyer Paul Kennedy, despite knowing he was HIV positive, Ackerman replied that the boys knew what they were getting into.

"They knew he was HIV positive. They knew what they were getting into. They were fine with it; they didn't go to have sex with him. They went to massage him, and I told them not to do anything sexual. He is HIV positive."

Kennedy, who was one of Ackerman's most high-profile clients, was arrested with him in 2021. He died by suicide while out on bail.

In January, Ackerman was rearrested after he failed to appear in court while out on R6 000 bail.