By The Canadian Press

RED DEER, Alta. - A central Alberta man has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a teenage girl he kidnapped while impersonating a police officer.

Gerard Baumgarte, 57, was visibly upset Tuesday as he pleaded to six charges, including assault with a weapon, in Red Deer court.

Baumgarte was arrested last February after a 16-year-old girl was found crying in a shopping mall two days after she was abducted during a trip to a neighbourhood convenience store.

The girl from Penhold was forced into a car with flashing blue and red lights by a man dressed as a police officer.

Her disappearance sparked a police manhunt and prompted friends, family and strangers to hold candlelight vigils in the community.

There was no immediate word on when Baumgarte is to be sentenced, but the charges he pleaded guilty to carry a maximum penalty of life in jail.