She 'confessed to' a love of trashy romance novels. [=she admitted that she loves trashy romance novels]
I must 'confess' [=I am a little embarrassed to say] that I know nothing about computers.
She 'confessed to' having lied to me in the past. [=she told me that she lied to me]
(..) I'll call Kay. - Good evening, sir. - Can we wait here? We'll be back soon. Mr. Harrison, you said it was urgent. Have you come to confess your sins? Michael Corleone has had a diabetic stroke. I wanted you to know about it. He's in a coma. I'm here to insist the deal goes through in any event. (..)1990 The Godfather Part III