Sex offender ‘Mr. JetzTV’ to live in halfway house

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/08/2025 (216 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WINNIPEG — A Winnipeg sex offender once known as Mr. JetzTV, who was convicted for running a prostitution ring and abusing teen girls, has been approved for release to a halfway house.

Darrell Erwin Ackman, 55, was convicted in May 2016 on 14 charges committed between 2011 and 2012, including multiple counts of sex assault, living off the avails of prostitution and making child pornography. One of his victims died by suicide prior to his sentencing.

Ackman made headlines in 2012, as he posted provocative videos of teen girls and young women on YouTube under the name Mr. JetzTV, attempted to recruit girls at local high schools, and was arrested multiple times for sex offences.

He was sentenced to 15 years in prison, less time served. He left Stony Mountain federal prison last September on day parole, with various conditions. He was ordered to live at a federal halfway house, officially referred to as a community correctional centre, an Aug. 6 Parole Board of Canada decision said.

While out, he eventually reached statutory release — automatic for most federal offenders at two-thirds of their sentence — the decision indicates.

Police warned at the time of his September release he was considered a high risk to reoffend against teen girls.

Ackman was arrested again in March for violating the conditions imposed by parole officials, the board decision said. His statutory release was suspended and he was returned to federal prison.

He had refused to engage in his treatment plan and his behaviour in the community deteriorated ahead of his release being suspended earlier this year.

In February, Ackman had gone to a park where children could have been present — considered a breach of his conditions — resulting in the arrest. Ackman said he had gone to the location to film a music video. Criminal charges over the breach were recently stayed.

Ackman had been focused on building a career as a musician rather than getting a job while on release.

“Ackman engaged in repeated negative behaviours, including inappropriate statements towards females, acted irrationally on his beliefs that he could become famous, pushed boundaries with the (case management team), exhibited limited motivation to engage in a structured release, and he repeatedly failed to abide by (halfway house) rules,” a Corrections Service of Canada submission to the board about Ackman’s time on release.

The parole board did not require Ackman abstain from drugs and alcohol on his first release, but the halfway house forbid intoxicants — a rule he repeatedly broke.

Ackman was put on medication for an undisclosed mental health condition in March. He had been diagnosed with the condition in 2021 but had been dismissive of the diagnosis and stopped taking medication.

This year, he has been compliant in taking the pills and his behaviour stabilized, the parole board heard.

Ackman apologized for his behaviour and spoke with the parole board in July, ahead of the Aug. 6 decision.

The parole board voted to cancel the suspension earlier this month, meaning he will again leave prison on new conditions and reside at a federal halfway house.

Under his new release conditions, Ackman must take his prescribed medication and can’t buy, take or possess illicit drugs and alcohol.

His prior conditions are still in effect. Those include that he must seek employment or go to school, follow a treatment plan, stay away from anywhere children may be, have no contact with children or sex workers, can’t look at pornography or have an unapproved telecommunication device and must report any relationships or friendships with women to his parole officer.

» Winnipeg Free Press