Sex offender's body found in Delaware River

The body of a convicted sex offender was found floating in the Delaware River on Wednesday, a day after he was to have been sentenced in Montgomery County Court, police said.

James Peirce Jr., 62, jumped from the Tacony Palmyra Bridge on Monday, his birthday, leaving behind a note inside his parked car, police said. Peirce, who had addresses in the 900 block of Fanshawe Street in Philadelphia, and in Telford, Montgomery County, faced 10 to 20 years in prison on the sex-offender charge, police said.

Peirce's body was spotted shortly after 3 p.m. Wednesday near a boat ramp on the 5800 block of Tacony Street. His death was ruled a suicide by drowning yesterday by the Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office.

In April, Peirce pleaded guilty to charges that he fondled a 5-year-old girl in August 2007 while the two were sitting in Peirce's parked car outside a drug store in Abington Township, Montgomery County, according to court documents.

Peirce was charged with offenses including aggravated indecent assault of a child in November. He was released after posting $250,000 bail, said Kevin R. Steele, first assistant district attorney in Montgomery County.

When Pierce failed to show up at his sentencing proceeding on Tuesday, a warrant was issued for his arrest. Peirce's family had been concerned about him because Peirce hadn't been returning messages and the family had been unable to locate him, Steele said.