Kelly Singh Mahal, soccer coach, sentenced to 7 years in U.S. prison for seeking sex with minor
The former Surrey soccer coach will be requried to register as a sex offender in the U.S.
Former soccer coach and Surrey resident Kelly Singh Maha has been sentenced to seven years in a U.S. prison for seeking sex with someone he believed to be a 12-year old girl.
Mahal, 47, will be required to register as a sex offender in the U.S, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
The U.S. will deport Mahal, who was also a facilities manager for a Vancouver tech firm, back to Canada after he serves his sentence, with the requirement that he be under supervision for 10 years.
The assistant U.S. Attorney's office says it has seen an exponential growth in the number of children being victimized.
"What was concerning to homeland security was the the willingness of Mr. Mahal to cross an international border in order to have sex with a 12 year old child. That's why this case was prosecuted federally," assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Vaughn told CBC.
- Kelly Singh Mahal pleads guilty in U.S. after trying to meet 12-year-old girl for sex
- Kelly Singh Mahal arrested in U.S. for allegedly trying to meet 12-year-old girl for sex
Mahal fell for a sting operation in 2015 where a U.S. homeland security agent pretended to be a 12-year old girl willing to have sex with him. He was arrested in February 2015 after traveling to Burlington, Washington to meet with "the girl."
Mahal, who used to coach a Surrey boys' soccer team, pleaded guilty in January 2016 of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor.
The fight against sexual predators
Mahal's sentence is part of U.S. authorities' efforts to protect children from sexual predators.
"This sentence should serve as a stern warning to those who mistakenly believe cyberspace affords them anonymity, and they can use the Internet to sexually exploit children with impunity," said Bradford Bench, a special agent in charge of homeland security in Seattle.
Homeland security has arrested more than 10,000 people since it started sting operations in 2003, targeting sexual predators. About 2,300 people were arrested in 2015 alone by special agents under the initiative, immigration authorities told CBC in January.
With files from Farrah Merali