Ex-cop is guilty of assaults
After nine months of denials, a former Taranaki police sergeant has admitted sexually assaulting three women.
Yesterday, Kimberlee Frederick Knight Vollmer appeared in the New Plymouth District Court where he pleaded guilty to three counts of indecent assault.
The offending included touching one woman’s bottom, and rubbing his penis against another victim while hugging her, the court heard.
Vollmer, who had support in the gallery, stood in the dock as the charges were put to him.
He admitted guilt in each instance.
The incidents span 2015 to 2017, while Vollmer was stationed in New Plymouth.
The investigation into Vollmer’s conduct followed a complaint made to the Independent Police Conduct Authority in May 2017. At the time of the investigation, he was stood down.
He resigned from the force in October 2017, before the completion of an investigation into his activities, which had been launched that June.
Seven further charges of indecent assault and one of unlawful sexual connection with a female over the age of 16 were withdrawn by the Crown at yesterday’s hearing.
At his first court appearance on the matters in May 2018, Vollmer had pleaded not guilty to all sexual matters and elected a judge-alone trial, which was scheduled for May this year.
At that same appearance he admitted four counts of accessing the police computer system for dishonest reasons.
It is understood Vollmer used a work computer to access the confidential details of a number of women. At yesterday’s hearing, Judge Gregory Hikaka entered convictions for the three sexual offences, and the four computerrelated matters.
He also served Vollmer his first warning under the threestrikes law.
Defence lawyer Susan Hughes QC told the court the Crown had advised it would not oppose an application for home detention and asked that Judge Hikaka make a record of that.
She also requested the matters be referred for restorative justice conferences. Vollmer was further remanded on bail to reappear for sentencing on May 20.