Darren James McDonald, 38, of Port Phillip Prison, yesterday pleaded guilty in the County Court in Ballarat to 11 charges, including two counts of committing an indecent act with a child under 16, three counts of aggravated burglary, five counts of theft and one count of burglary.

The charges relate to a series of home invasions committed by McDonald in the Ballarat East area between July and August 2001.

In the most serious case, McDonald entered a house at 6.30 in the morning, helping himself to beer, cigarettes and cash, before entering a bedroom where two young sisters were sleeping.

Crown Prosecutor Carolene Gwynn said "once in the bedroom Darren McDonald woke the children and said words similar to 'I'm your dad'." Both girls were then sexually assaulted.

The defendant left the house with $240 in cash and two sets of car keys. He stole the family's car to transport the goods home and then returned it to the street.

The court heard McDonald broke into a Joseph St property one month later, using a candle to navigate through the house while the occupants were sleeping.

The defendant ransacked the kitchen cupboards and stole alcohol and a bank key-card and PIN-number. He left the premises and withdrew $600 cash from an ATM in Bridge Mall.

The same night McDonald targeted a Eureka St property, stealing $900 worth of property from a shed, and a wallet and cash from inside the house while the occupant was home.

At the time of the offences news of the burglaries caused a panic in Ballarat and a community meeting was held to allay fears a sexual predator was on the loose.

Defence counsel David Cordy said his client was not a paedophile and the sexual offences he committed against the sisters were merely opportunistic.

Mr Cordy said McDonald "was and remains to some extent mentally ill," and had a long history of alcohol and substance abuse and depression.

McDonald - who has been in prison since his arrest in September, 2001 - will reappear in court for sentencing before Judge Graeme Crossley next Monday.