"Toddler Girl" D.L. - 21 Months (2010)/ Accused: Akel Ackie - Paterson/Passaic NJ

Paterson NJ ---- The Passaic man accused of sexually assaulting and beating to death a
21-month-old girl pleaded not guilty Monday in Superior Court.



Akel A. Ackie, 22, was arrested last week in connection with the death of the
toddler, identified only by the initials D.L. Authorities allege Ackie
physically and sexually abused D.L. while caring for the girl in her mother’s
house on Ninth Street.
The girl was taken to St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital in Paterson, where she
died around 2:20 p.m. Tuesday, said Passaic County Chief Assistant Prosecutor
Joseph A. Del Russo.
Ackie on Thursday was charged with murder, felony murder and aggravated
sexual assault.
On Monday, Ackie spoke softly, mumbling through answers to questions posed to
him by Del Russo.
The courtroom was crowded with family and friends of the girl, most of whom
declined comment after the short hearing.
The girl’s great-grandmother, Louise Branch, said she was still questioning
how this happened.
“I’m angry and hurt that he would do this to a child,” she said.
A woman wailed from the back of the courtroom before quickly exiting to the
hallway. As Del Russo addressed Superior Court Judge Marilyn Clark, some
audience members there for their own cases gasped in shock.
Del Russo said Ackie does not have a history of sexual offenses but has been
arrested before.
Ackie, who once lived in Garfield, was arrested multiple times on marijuana
possession charges, Del Russo said. In one 2007 Bergen County incident, he
pleaded guilty to a marijuana possession charge and paid a fine, according to
court records.
He was also arrested in 2008 for theft by unlawful taking, also in Bergen
County. The charge was downgraded to the municipal court system. He pleaded
guilty and paid a fine.
Del Russo declined comment on the events leading up to D.L.’s death but said
the investigation continues.
“We are assessing as many sources as possible to find the most complete
picture of the last hours of her life,” he said.
Clark continued Ackie’s bail at $1.5 million, and if it is not paid, he will
remain in the Passaic County Jail.
Ackie’s public defender, Margaret Kean, declined comment after the
proceeding.
He faces a possible life sentence if convicted on either of the murder
charges, authorities said.
The case will go before a grand jury, which would decide whether there is
enough evidence to proceed to a trial.

Passaic man is indicted for sex assault, fatal beating of toddler
Published: Friday, August 20, 2010, 6:16 PM Updated: Friday, August 20, 2010, 6:18 PM
By The Associated Press


PASSAIC — A Passaic man has been indicted for allegedly sexually assaulting and fatally beating a toddler he was caring for at a friend's home.

Twenty-two-year-old Akel Ackie of Passaic was arrested in March. He faces counts of murder, felony murder, aggravated sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child.

The murder count carries a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole. The sexual assault count carries a maximum 20-year sentence.

Prosecutors say Ackie physically and sexually abused the 21-month-old girl while caring for the child at her mother's house in Passaic on March 20.

The girl died three days later.

Ackie is being held in the Passaic County Jail on $1.5 million bail.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/08/paterson_man_is_indicted_for_s.html

Passaic man who killed, sexually assaulted 21-month-old girl sentenced to 37 years

By Seth Augenstein/The Star-Ledger
on October 19, 2013 at 10:00 AM
updated October 19, 2013 at 3:09 PM

PATERSON — A Passaic man has been sentenced to 37 years in prison for killing and sexually assaulting a 21-month-old girl, Prosecutor Camelia Valdes announced.

Akel A. Ackie, 25, had pleaded guilty in June to aggravated manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child for the sexual conduct, the prosecutor said.

Ackie had been babysitting the girl on March 20, 2010 when he assaulted her, authorities said. He called 9-1-1 after the child went into respiratory distress, and by the time emergency responders arrived at the Passaic home, she was already unresponsive, authorities said. At St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center, doctors diagnosed the girl with significant brain injuries. Ackie was arrested the day after, and the girl remained in critical condition before dying on March 23, authorities said.

After an evaluation at the hospital, it was also determined that the child had been sexually assaulted, Valdes said.

Since his arrest, Ackie had been held in the Passaic County Jail on $1.5 million bail. Ackie initially rejected the plea deal in April, telling the judge that he wanted a new lawyer, according to the The Record. However, he accepted that same plea deal some two months later.

Ackie was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the aggravated manslaughter charge, and an additional seven years for the child endangerment charge, Valdes said. Ackie will have to serve 29 years before being eligible for parole, the prosecutor added.

Ackie remains at the Passaic County Jail while awaiting transfer to state prison, Valdes said.

http://www.nj.com/passaic-county/index.ssf/2013/10/passaic_man_sentenced_to_37_years_for_killing_girlfriends_21-month-old_daughter_sexual_conduct.html