Other LanguagesBELLINGHAM — Repeat convicted child molester David Ackley has agreed he is a sexually violent predator, allowing a judge to confine him to the State’s Special Commitment Center on McNeil Island.
Ackley, 58, has a decades-long history of sexually abusing children that includes a 1992 conviction for a sexually violent offense — first-degree child molestation — in Whatcom County. His criminal history also includes convictions for simple assault in 1988, lewd, lascivious or indecent assault in 1989, and a fourth-degree assault with sexual motivation in 2009.
Ackley was due to be released for his most recent assault in 2011, before the Attorney General’s Office filed for his civil commitment. Since then, he has been detained at the Special Commitment Center awaiting trial.
At Monday’s hearing before Whatcom County Superior Court Judge Deborra E. Garrett, Ackley acknowledged that he understood his rights and the consequences of his decision to stipulate to civil commitment, and agreed that he should be confined as a sexually violent predator. Judge Garrett then signed an order committing Ackley. The state was represented by Assistant Attorney General Joshua Studor.
“The Attorney General’s Office works hard to protect our communities from sexually violent predators,” said Attorney General Bob Ferguson. “I’m especially proud of the entire prosecution team for their dedication to this case over the past four years.”
Under Washington’s civil commitment law, prosecutors had to demonstrate Ackley suffers from specific mental abnormalities and/or personality disorders that cause him to have serious difficulty in controlling his dangerous behavior and make him likely to engage in predatory acts of sexual violence unless confined to a secure facility.
In 1990, Washington became the first state in the nation to pass a law permitting the involuntary civil commitment of sex offenders after they have served their criminal sentence. The Attorney General’s SVP Unit was established shortly thereafter.
The AGO SVP unit is responsible for prosecuting sex predator cases for 38 of Washington’s 39 counties (King County being the exception). In Fiscal Year 2014, the unit tried 14 cases, won 9 civil commitments and secured one recommitment. Three trials ended in hung juries and one trial involved an offender who was found by the jury to not meet the criteria to be committed as a sexually violent predator.
As of October 2014, 294 sexually violent predators are in the state’s Special Commitment Program.
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The Office of the Attorney General is the chief legal office for the state of Washington with attorneys and staff in 27 divisions across the state providing legal services to roughly 200 state agencies, boards and commissions. Attorney General Bob Ferguson is working hard to protect consumers and seniors against fraud, keep our communities safe, protect our environment and stand up for our veterans. Visit www.atg.wa.gov to learn more.