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DC police officer admits attempted sexual abuse in wellness center

Theo

A Washington, D.C. police officer accused of sexually assaulting another member of the force in 2019 at a Northwest Washington wellness center where he volunteered pleaded guilty late Thursday to attempted first-degree sexual assault of a client.

The trial of Pearce Then, 47, was scheduled to begin Monday on charges of first-degree sexual abuse in connection with the incident, which the police chief at the time called “a disgrace to anyone who wears a badge.” The victim, according to court documents, was also a Washington, D.C., police officer who worked at the department’s 4th Precinct station with the man who she said attacked her.

As part of the plea deal, federal prosecutors agreed to seek only probation with no jail time, although Then must register as a sex offender for a period to be determined by a judge. Prosecutors said Then could have faced a maximum of five years in prison if convicted after a trial.

Then’s attorney, Brian McDaniel, called the incident a “misunderstanding” and said his client was “pleased to put this matter behind him.” A Washington DC police spokesman said Friday that Then, who joined the force in 2007 and has been under surveillance while it was investigated, was “suspended indefinitely.”

Judge Maribeth Raffinan is scheduled to announce her verdict on August 30.

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