A former Waiouru Army sergeant has pleaded guilty on charges of sexual violation against an underage girl.
Alexandre James Pancheri Harpur, 39, admitted seven sexual violation charges and 10 of taking offensive photographs of a girl under the age of 12, in Palmerston North District Court yesterday, the Manawatu Standard reported.
He was charged with raping a girl in Pahiatua on May 29, 2005.
Judge Gerard Lynch convicted and remanded him in custody until sentencing on June 18.
Harpur was arrested and charged after police lured him into a trap at the Esplanade, Palmerston North, on January 13 last year.
Harpur had arranged to meet a woman near a children's paddling pool with her young daughter and niece, a court was told last year, but she also informed police.
A search of Harpur's ute uncovered two firearms, a laptop, four cellphones, motel receipts, CDs and other data storage devices.
Police later found sexually explicit images of children on the laptop and one of the cellphones.
