Sentencing For Teacher Accused Of Sex Crimes Postponed

A sentencing hearing for a former North Henderson High School teacher has been postponed until Thursday.

David Frank Pace, 57, was indicted in October with one federal count of felony coercion or enticement of a female.

The former carpentry and technical teacher was arrested July 7 in Asheville by the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office after he allegedly chatted online with police officers posing as minors. He was charged with soliciting a child by using a computer.

Judge Dennis Howell explained to Pace his plea agreement and that by the court accepting the agreement Pace would forfeit a trial by jury.

Pace could spend a minimum of 10 years in prison or a maximum of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

If Pace is released from prison after serving a term less than life, he will be placed on supervised probation for a minimum of five years.

Pace was also fined $250,000 and Howell said the court may also impose restitution for the cost of the investigations of his crimes.

A sentencing hearing was scheduled for Monday at 11:30 a.m., but has been postponed until 11 a.m. Thursday.

According to court records, Pace, using the screen names Wantencounter or MntMan, solicited sex from people he thought were minors. The alleged offenses in North and South Carolina prompted the charge from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Not long after, Greenville, S.C., police charged Pace with four counts of criminal solicitation of a minor, for which he could receive 40 years in prison, for allegedly participating in graphic online chats with detectives posing as young teenagers.

Guilford County has charged him with two counts of criminal solicitation of a minor.

Pace, of 68 Hog Rock Road, began teaching at North Henderson High in 1993.

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