A 31-year-old man from Mumbai has been arrested in the United States on multiple charges related to the alleged sexual exploitation of a minor.
Preet Pankaj Jain was taken into custody in Davidson County, Tennessee, after police responded to a report of an adult man allegedly stalking a minor in the Medlands Community area on September 24. The case began when an Uber driver alerted authorities to the suspected stalking.
During questioning, Jain told police that he had travelled to meet a girl he knew through online dating and was attempting to give her a gift. Investigators determined that the girl was a minor.
A subsequent forensic examination of Jain’s electronic devices indicated that he had allegedly concealed his real age and identity while maintaining an online relationship with the girl over an extended period. After the girl discovered his true identity, she ended their communication and blocked him online.
Police allege that Jain then travelled from Mumbai to the United States in an effort to contact her again.
He faces four counts of first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, four counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, and one count of sexual extortion. Jain appeared before a magistrate and was later produced before the Davidson County District Court on September 25. The court denied him bail and remanded him to the Davidson County Detention Center. His next court appearance is scheduled for October 6.