BELLEFONTAINE — A Logan County jury chose not to convict a man on a rape charge, but found him guilty of kidnapping of a 24-year-old Logan County woman and gross sexual imposition after about 3 1/2 hours deliberation Thursday.
Logan County Common Pleas Judge Mark S. O’Connor immediately sentenced Gurwinder Singh, 27, to spend nine years in prison, minus 716 days of accumulated jail time credit.
Singh lived and worked at a Marathon gas station, located at 12500 SR 235 N. Lakeview. The victim was a regular at the gas station and lived a little more than a half-mile away, according to prosecutors.
She told detectives that they would text each other and Singh would occasionally give her free gas, cigarettes, beer and candy, but they never had a sexual relationship.
On Feb. 25, 2013, the victim said she agreed to meet Singh at that gas station at 9 p.m. and the two started drinking beer in the business’ living quarters. That is where Singh sexually assaulted her and she attempted to call 9-1-1.
The call connected with the 9-1-1 operator, but Singh knocked the phone out of her hand. The operator could hear the victim repeatedly tell Singh no and pleaded with him to stop.
In October of 2013, Singh pleaded guilty to raping the victim. A judge sentenced him to a five-year mandatory prison sentence. In August of 2014, the Ohio’s Third District Court of Appeals reversed his plea agreement and sent the case back to Logan County for a trial.
An Indian national, Gurwinder could be deported when he is released from prison. If not, he will be required to register as a Tier II sex offender every six months for 25 years.
Source: BELLEFONTAINE Examiner