Indian man avoids jail after harassing, allegedly groping teen girls

Jagjit Singh, a 51-year-old Indian national on a six-month visitor visa, received no additional jail time but is being deported for allegedly sexually assaulting and harassing young Canadian girls.

Source: Rawpixel

Jagjit Singh, a 51-year-old Indian national on a six-month visitor visa, received no additional jail time but is being deported for allegedly sexually assaulting and harassing young Canadian girls months after arriving in Canada in July.

Singh’s legal problems began three months after arriving in Canada, when he started frequenting the smoking area outside a local high school. Police say he repeatedly approached young girls, attempted to take photos with them, and spoke to them about drugs and alcohol.

Investigators later determined Singh’s behaviour escalated quickly, with officers alleging he followed female students as they left school property.

Police also said one girl reported being groped, prompting school officials to contact authorities.

Singh, who local media reported did not speak English in court, was arrested and charged with sexual interference and sexual assault. He was released on bail within days, but was rearrested the same day after a new complaint.

Appearing in a Sarnia courtroom Wednesday with the assistance of an interpreter, Singh pleaded not guilty to sexual interference but guilty to the lesser charge of criminal harassment.

Victim-impact statements described significant emotional fallout. One victim said she now “often feels intimidated around older men and men of Singh’s ethnicity.”

The Crown and defence jointly recommended a nine-day sentence — time served — along with three years of probation.

Justice Renée Leszczynski accepted the proposal, noting the sentence would be “unusual” were it not for Singh’s imminent removal from Canada. Canada Border Services Agency officers were present in the courtroom.

Singh told the court through his interpreter that he already had a plane ticket for Dec. 30 and was seeking an earlier flight following his legal troubles.

The judge noted that CBSA officers “will assist and work to that end goal,” but court records, police statements or the border agency do not clarify whether Singh remains in the country or whether a quicker flight has been booked.