Michael Pearce, 37, of Campbelltown: Child sex offender jailed by Manly Court
The registered child sex offender who was jailed for molesting a teenager at a Wollongong games arcade has landed back in court after having a day out at Manly Beach.
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A registered child sex offender, who wanted a day out at the seaside in Manly, has been jailed for failing to tell authorities where he was going.
Michael Pearce, 37, who was released from jail on parole last month for molesting a 15-year-old girl, was supposed to advise officials of his movements.
He was also meant to keep an electronic monitoring bracelet on his ankle charged up.
But when he failed to return to his accommodation in Campbelltown on October 29 — and his electronic bracelet turned off — an arrest warrant was issued by the State Crime Command’s Sex Crimes Squad.
Pearce was nabbed at Manly on Tuesday, November 1.
Manly Local Court heard on Friday that he told Northern Beaches Police that “I just wanted to go to the city for a few days”.
His Legal Aid solicitor told Magistrate Robyn Denes that Pearce then decided to travel on to Manly.
Pearce pleaded guilty to one count of fail to comply with reporting obligations under the Child Protection (Offenders Registration) Act. The court heard that he did not meet his obligations as a person on the Child Protection Register.
Pearce was sentenced to jail in Wollongong Local Court in August after he molested the teenage girl in a games arcade.
CCTV footage captured Pearce molesting a teenager girl at the Funland arcade in Wollongong Central shopping centre in April.
He was handed an 18-month sentence, with a non-parole period of six months, for two counts of intentionally sexually touching a child between the ages of 10 and 16 as well as resisting an officer in the execution of their duty.
The court heard that Pearce suffered with mental health issues and had a low IQ which affected his capacity to foresee the consequences of his actions.
Ms Denes said the conditions Pearce is living with lowered his “moral culpability” in relation to this offence.
She jailed him for one month, dating from October 31.
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