A 70-year-old man has been warned he faces jail time after posing as a police officer to sexually assault children in parks, a court has heard.
Guilty Pleas Entered
David Pearce admitted seven sex offences, including six counts of indecent assault and one count of indecency with a child, when he appeared at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Wednesday, May 6.
Details of the Attacks
Prosecutors said that on April 23, 1990, at Barking park lido, Pearce masqueraded as a police officer or a caretaker. He told four children—two boys and two girls aged between eight and 11—that keys were missing before assaulting them.
In a separate incident in July 1996 at a recreational ground, he indecently assaulted two 13-year-old girls.
How Police Caught Him
The court heard that police were able to match semen found on a bench following the 1990 incident to Pearce after he was arrested in 2019 on suspicion of voyeurism, for which he was cautioned.
Other Charges Left on File
Pearce had denied a further four counts of indecent assault, six counts of attempting an act of indecency with a child, and two counts of indecency with a child relating to 12 other children also in the 1990s. However, prosecutors chose to leave these charges on file after his guilty pleas were entered.
Bail and Sentencing
Pearce, now 70, of March, Cambridgeshire, was granted conditional bail. He was warned that he faces jail time and will be sentenced on May 29.
