A Massachusetts man was found guilty by a federal court jury Monday of interstate stalking in a “sexploitation” case involving a Hancock teenager.
David Ackell, 48, of Seekonk, was found guilty after four hours of deliberation. According to court documents, Ackell and his victim, identified in documents only by the initials “R.R.”, met online and developed an online relationship ranging from October in 2012 through February 2014. Ackell was found guilty of coercing the victim into sending him nude photographs of herself, and then threatening to send the photos to her friends if she didn’t meet his demands.
The two first met online when the woman was a 16-year-old Hancock resident, according to documents detailing the woman’s initial report to police in August of 2014.
The woman told police that she made an account on the now-defunct site MyYearbook.com, which requires users to be 18 years old. However, the woman told police she clearly advertised her real age on her profile, and when she was contacted by Ackell through the site, he was aware of her age.
According to the woman’s report, Ackell at first claimed he was 21 years old, and then later told her he was 38. Over the course of a year, the woman said that Ackell asked her for pictures of herself, clothed and then encouraging her to send more revealing photos of her in her bra and underwear, including offering to send her money in exchange for revealing photographs, and engaging in conversations that were sexual in nature prior to her 18th birthday.
The woman told police that after she turned 18, Ackell would ask for pictures every few days and have graphic sexual conversations with her. The woman reported that during one exchange, she told him “that she was uncomfotable and didn’t want to send pictures or talk in a sexual way. Ackell replied that she was his ‘slave’.” The woman told police that Ackell threatened to send the pictures she had already sent to him to her entire friends list on her Instagram account if she didn’t continue to send him photos and do as he said, and showed her evidence that he had stored her photographs. He had previously told the woman that he deleted them.
In December of 2015, the woman entered into a relationship with another man, and attempted to end her relationship with Ackell, but he threatened to send her photos to her family and friends. The man called Ackell and threatened him if he didn’t leave her alone. Ackell told him that he was an Air Marshal and could arrest him, and forwarded him photos that the woman had sent him.
The woman told police she tried to end the communications multiple times after that, but Ackell threatened to “trade” her to a new “owner” to have her boyfriend arrested, or to “replace” her.
According to court documents filed by Ackell’s defense, Ackell did not deny being in an online relationship with the victim, or dispute screenshots taken of their conversations, but argued that the conversations were in the context of consensual role-playing.
Ackell is scheduled to be sentenced on April 11. Interstate cyberstalking can carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison, three years supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.