In perhaps the first such case involving an Indian in the US, police in Pennsylvania have arrested an Indian engineer, an IIT
graduate, on charges of using the internet for soliciting sex with a minor girl. According to Pennsylvania attorney general Tom Corbett, Nityanand Gopalika (30), in the US on a work visa, allegedly used a chat room to approach what he believed was a 13-year-old girl from Pittsburgh, who turned out to be an undercover agent from the Child Predator Unit.
Gopalika, who is from Purnia, Bihar, and a resident of State College, Pennsylvania, was arrested on July 1 when he arrived at a predetermined meeting location. He was arrested, arraigned and sent to the Butler County Jail after he failed to cough up $15,000 cash bail. His preliminary hearing is coming up on Friday, July 24.
According to the criminal complaint filed by the Child Predator Unit, Gopalika, an alumnus of IIT Kanpur and DPS Bokaro, had a series of chats over several days, questioning the girl about her sexual experiences and describing the sex acts he wished to engage in with her.
Gopalika has also been charged with sending the girl two web cam videos that showed him nude or masturbating in front of his computer.
Cops seized two laptop computers from his vehicle, along with a digital camera, a cell phone allegedly containing a partially completed text message to the ``child'', condoms and directions to the meeting location.
The techie is charged with one count of attempted unlawful contact with a minor (related to involuntary deviate sexual intercourse), a first-degree felony which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $25,000 fine.
Additionally, Gopalika is charged with two counts of unlawful contact with a minor (related to obscene performances), along with one count of criminal use of a computer, all third-degree felonies — each punishable by up to seven years in prison and $15,000 fines.
Nityanand Gopalika's family in Purnia, when contacted, declined to either confirm or deny the information. His brother Shravan claimed he did not know of any arrest and that he had not spoken to Nityanand for two months. He, however, added: ``Please do something to help him''.
Negotiations have been going on for Gopalika's marriage. Gopal, another brother, told TOI on Thursday that the family was unaware of Gopalika's arrest. When informed about it, he refused to comment and, instead, said he would call back. Advertisement
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