KAREN ACKLAND FROM DEAL SENTENCED IN LONDON COURT FOR SEXUAL ABUSE OF 14-YEAR-OLD BOY

In October 2014, a woman from Deal named Karen Ackland was finally sentenced to prison after a series of legal proceedings that highlighted the severity of her crimes involving a teenage boy. Ackland, a mother of two and a former sailor residing in Cavell Square, had previously received a suspended sentence for her actions, but this was later deemed insufficient by the Court of Appeal in London.

Her case drew significant attention after she was found guilty of engaging in sexual activities with a 14-year-old boy, who was notably 30 years her junior. The incident occurred following a night of heavy drinking, during which Ackland and the boy had been socializing with friends. The events unfolded in her home in Deal, where her illicit relationship was eventually uncovered.

According to court records, Ackland, aged 44 at the time, had pursued the teenager after consuming alcohol with him and others. The night involved both of them drinking heavily, culminating in Ackland kissing the boy and offering to perform a sexual act. Later that evening, as the boy prepared for his early morning paper route, Ackland stripped and engaged in sexual activities with him in a bedroom. The situation was further complicated when the boy’s older brother overheard moaning noises emanating from the room, raising suspicions.

During the sexual encounter, Ackland was heard to say, “I can’t believe I’m doing this with a 15-year-old,” although she was actually aware that the boy was only 14 at the time. The incident was reported after a child protection officer at the boy’s school became aware of the offences. Initially, Ackland denied any wrongdoing, but she changed her plea to guilty just minutes before her scheduled trial, abandoning her previous claims that no sexual activity had taken place.

At Canterbury Crown Court in July, Judge Simon James sentenced her to nine months in prison, suspended for a year, and ordered her to pay court costs. She was also placed on the sex offenders’ register for ten years. However, the Attorney General’s office challenged this leniency, arguing that the sentence was unduly light given the gravity of her actions. The appeal was heard by three senior judges at London’s Appeal Court, including Lord Justice Pitchford.

During the appeal, Lord Justice Pitchford emphasized that the original sentence was “plainly unduly lenient” and that there were no grounds for suspending her imprisonment. The judges agreed that Ackland’s conduct was a “persistent course of conduct” rather than a drunken escapade, as initially characterized. They ordered her to serve a two-year prison sentence without suspension, to be served immediately. Ackland was instructed to surrender herself at Folkestone Police Station by 4 pm that day to begin her incarceration.

The case also drew commentary from the victim’s family. The victim’s mother expressed her belief that women should face the same penalties as men for such offences, stating, “It’s exactly the same sexual act. It shouldn’t be any different for men and women and if she had been a man I think she would have had a jail sentence.”

In summary, Karen Ackland’s case from Deal underscores the legal system’s stance on protecting minors from sexual exploitation, and the courts’ willingness to impose harsher sentences when initial punishments are deemed too lenient. Her imprisonment marks a significant development in the ongoing effort to address and penalize such serious offences.