Gregory Pace: Reservoir sex offender strikes on Preston streets
For weeks, women in Preston have been stalked, harassed and been the victims of a pervert’s urge to commit sex acts in full view, often while staring and smirking at them.
North
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A serial sex offender repeatedly harassed women on the streets of Preston by following them and dropping his pants and performing a sex act, a court has heard.
Gregory Pace, who is on the state’s sex offender register for life, fronted Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, September 16, to plead guilty to charges over three new incidents.
The 43-year-old followed two of his victims as they walked down a Preston street about 7.30am on July 11 while touching his genitalia.
The women crossed the street to try to get away from Pace after they noticed him walking behind them, staring at them while holding his groin, but Pace crossed with them.
When they reached the end of the street, the women turned to see Pace behind them performing a sex act, with his tracksuit pants around his knees.
He fled after one of the women said she was calling the police.
Two hours later Pace was caught trying to get into a Preston hotel through a fire escape and left when he was confronted by staff.
A staff member then saw him sitting in the hotel’s carpark, performing a sex act.
Two weeks earlier the Reservoir man had harassed a woman on her way to a Preston hair salon.
The woman saw him in an alley as she drove past to go and park her car about 9.30am on June 27, with Pace looking directly at her, making her feel panicked.
When she then parked her car and got out she saw Pace across the street smirking at her while performing a sex act.
The court heard Pace had extensive and relevant prior convictions.
Lawyer Emily Austin said he was an unemployed Indigenous man whose IQ was so low he was borderline intellectually disabled and who suffered from depression and anxiety.
She said drug addiction was behind his offending.
The court heard he had a partner living in the Philippines.
A psychological report provided to the court stated Pace had little appreciation for his actions’ impact on his victims, with his behaviour put down to anger.
Sentencing was adjourned for the victims to provide impact statements to the court.
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