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Gujarati man at temple sexually exploited children for years, until they spoke up


RoadRomeo

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They were children when the abuse began.

It happened at temple, at his house, inside his car.

But they were too afraid to speak, court records show, fearing it would harm their family's standing in their Hindu community. So they stayed silent for years.

Until one victim broke her silence at the age of 20, triggering an FBI investigation that would disclose the harm she and others had quietly endured and bring their abuser to justice.

In U.S. District Court on Wednesday, Shailesh Patel, 53, of Canton, a Dunkin Donuts and Baskin-Robbins owner, pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of children. Under the terms of his plea agreement, he faces between 15 and 30 years in prison when he is sentenced in July before U.S. District Judge George Caram Steeh.

Under the deal, Patel admitted that on at least one occasion, he gave a 10-year-old girl his cell phone in 2010 and instructed her to use the phone to make a sexual video of herself, showing her genital area.

While this is the only crime that Patel admitted to, court records show that there were multiple other victims who also came forward alleging they were abused for years by the man who was married to their youth leader at the  temple they attended.

Prosecutors did not disclose the name of the temple in court filings.

According to court documents reviewed by the Free Press, here is what landed Patel in federal court:

On July 31, 2020, the FBI interviewed a 20-year-old woman who said Patel sexually abused her for years as a child, starting when she was 5. She said that his wife was the youth leader at her temple, and that her family spent a lot of time at the Patel household where most of the abuse occurred.

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The first incident happened during a dinner party that her family attended at the Patel home. She and her brother were watching a movie in Patel's bedroom when Patel entered, went into a walk-in closet and told her to join him. Inside the closet, Patel instructed the girl to touch his penis over his clothing and told her it was his "Jolly Rancher."

Another time, when the girl was 8 and she and other other children were at Patel's house, Patel called the kids into his basement to play games or watch a movie. Once downstairs, Patel called the girl over to him and from behind a wall, placed his genitals in her mouth.

Another time, he tried to penetrate her under a blanket while watching a movie. He also gave her a cell phone when she was between the ages of 7-9, and asked her to make sexual videos of herself.

"(She) was afraid that by coming forward to tell her story that her family would suffer because it would hurt their standing in the community," an FBI agent wrote in an affidavit.

Then came accuser number two.

On Sept. 11, 2020, the FBI interviewed a 23-year-old woman who made similar allegations about Patel, saying he sexually abused her when she was a child in his car, at his home and at the temple. As the owner of a donut shop and ice cream store, Patel often drove children to his businesses for treats, she said. 

The second accuser said that when she was in seventh grade, Patel put his hands down her pants while he was driving her in his car and inserted his finger into her **. She pulled away and he stopped. When she turned 16, she said, he regularly touched and grabbed her breasts and buttocks at temple.

The last time he touched her, the second accuser recalled, was in October 2019. She was working in the temple kitchen when he grabbed her breasts and buttocks. She told him to stop, and he smiled.

One month after accuser number two came forward, the Canton police obtained a warrant and searched Patel's Canton residence, where they found a sexually explicit video of accuser number one on his home computer. Patel's son was home when the officers arrived to search the house, though Patel soon came home from work and spoke with a detective and FBI agent who also were there.

Related: At least 454 priests accused: Michigan reveals 'startling' clergy abuse report

During his interview with law enforcement, court records show, Patel admitted to sexually abusing the first accuser when she was 10, and said that he may have abused another two or three children. He also admitted to touching the second accuser's genitals when she was a child, records show.

Shaleish Patel, 53, of Canton, following his arrest on criminal sexual conduct charges involving children who attended his temple.
 

A third accuser also was interviewed by the FBI, though that interview has not been made publicly available. 

Patel, meanwhile, is also facing decades in state prison for his sexual acts.

On March 19, he pleaded guilty in Wayne County Circuit Court to first-degree criminal sexual conduct and two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct for incidents involving two minor female victims. He faces up to 35 years in prison on the first-degree charges and 9-15 years on the second-degree criminal sexual conduct  charges when he is sentenced on May 28 in Wayne County court.

“The sexual assault of children and the production of child pornography are heinous crimes and those who prey upon our children and commit these acts of violence will be vigorously prosecuted and brought to justice,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Saima Mohsin. 

Added Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy: “The women in this case were sexually assaulted for years by Shailesh Patel. ... They were children when the abuse began, and they were courageous to come forward as adults to report this behavior to the authorities."

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9 minutes ago, RoadRomeo said:

They were children when the abuse began.

It happened at temple, at his house, inside his car.

But they were too afraid to speak, court records show, fearing it would harm their family's standing in their Hindu community. So they stayed silent for years.

Until one victim broke her silence at the age of 20, triggering an FBI investigation that would disclose the harm she and others had quietly endured and bring their abuser to justice.

In U.S. District Court on Wednesday, Shailesh Patel, 53, of Canton, a Dunkin Donuts and Baskin-Robbins owner, pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of children. Under the terms of his plea agreement, he faces between 15 and 30 years in prison when he is sentenced in July before U.S. District Judge George Caram Steeh.

Under the deal, Patel admitted that on at least one occasion, he gave a 10-year-old girl his cell phone in 2010 and instructed her to use the phone to make a sexual video of herself, showing her genital area.

While this is the only crime that Patel admitted to, court records show that there were multiple other victims who also came forward alleging they were abused for years by the man who was married to their youth leader at the  temple they attended.

Prosecutors did not disclose the name of the temple in court filings.

According to court documents reviewed by the Free Press, here is what landed Patel in federal court:

On July 31, 2020, the FBI interviewed a 20-year-old woman who said Patel sexually abused her for years as a child, starting when she was 5. She said that his wife was the youth leader at her temple, and that her family spent a lot of time at the Patel household where most of the abuse occurred.

Your stories live here.
Fuel your hometown passion and plug into the stories that define it.

The first incident happened during a dinner party that her family attended at the Patel home. She and her brother were watching a movie in Patel's bedroom when Patel entered, went into a walk-in closet and told her to join him. Inside the closet, Patel instructed the girl to touch his penis over his clothing and told her it was his "Jolly Rancher."

Another time, when the girl was 8 and she and other other children were at Patel's house, Patel called the kids into his basement to play games or watch a movie. Once downstairs, Patel called the girl over to him and from behind a wall, placed his genitals in her mouth.

Another time, he tried to penetrate her under a blanket while watching a movie. He also gave her a cell phone when she was between the ages of 7-9, and asked her to make sexual videos of herself.

"(She) was afraid that by coming forward to tell her story that her family would suffer because it would hurt their standing in the community," an FBI agent wrote in an affidavit.

Then came accuser number two.

On Sept. 11, 2020, the FBI interviewed a 23-year-old woman who made similar allegations about Patel, saying he sexually abused her when she was a child in his car, at his home and at the temple. As the owner of a donut shop and ice cream store, Patel often drove children to his businesses for treats, she said. 

The second accuser said that when she was in seventh grade, Patel put his hands down her pants while he was driving her in his car and inserted his finger into her **. She pulled away and he stopped. When she turned 16, she said, he regularly touched and grabbed her breasts and buttocks at temple.

The last time he touched her, the second accuser recalled, was in October 2019. She was working in the temple kitchen when he grabbed her breasts and buttocks. She told him to stop, and he smiled.

One month after accuser number two came forward, the Canton police obtained a warrant and searched Patel's Canton residence, where they found a sexually explicit video of accuser number one on his home computer. Patel's son was home when the officers arrived to search the house, though Patel soon came home from work and spoke with a detective and FBI agent who also were there.

Related: At least 454 priests accused: Michigan reveals 'startling' clergy abuse report

During his interview with law enforcement, court records show, Patel admitted to sexually abusing the first accuser when she was 10, and said that he may have abused another two or three children. He also admitted to touching the second accuser's genitals when she was a child, records show.

Shaleish Patel, 53, of Canton, following his arrest on criminal sexual conduct charges involving children who attended his temple.

 

A third accuser also was interviewed by the FBI, though that interview has not been made publicly available. 

Patel, meanwhile, is also facing decades in state prison for his sexual acts.

On March 19, he pleaded guilty in Wayne County Circuit Court to first-degree criminal sexual conduct and two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct for incidents involving two minor female victims. He faces up to 35 years in prison on the first-degree charges and 9-15 years on the second-degree criminal sexual conduct  charges when he is sentenced on May 28 in Wayne County court.

“The sexual assault of children and the production of child pornography are heinous crimes and those who prey upon our children and commit these acts of violence will be vigorously prosecuted and brought to justice,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Saima Mohsin. 

Added Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy: “The women in this case were sexually assaulted for years by Shailesh Patel. ... They were children when the abuse began, and they were courageous to come forward as adults to report this behavior to the authorities."

I heard this is very common in US, if you get caught you get in jail or you are king. 

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Just now, dasari123 said:

I heard this is very common in US, if you get caught you get in jail or you are king. 

Kids adults ga turn ayyaka cheppakunda untara 

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8 minutes ago, Sachin200 said:

Vatican lelalu chepatledhu anukunta 

 

Each church has multiple priests and it went on for decades. One stat to blow your mind :

PA state has 1500 known pedophiles between 1980 and 1990. One state ....10 year period only. Now extrapolate

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He has done such activities in temple premises , temple got impured bcoz of him so this pig needs to serve his rest of life in jail

If anyone exploits children at any religious place that person deserves punishment

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15 minutes ago, Sachin200 said:

Vatican lelalu chepatledhu anukunta 

 

You think these dont happen in temples as common. My guess it is even more common. Especially in vrindavan where most devotees are widowed women and most priests are brahmin males. what do you think happens there.

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1 minute ago, Telugodura456 said:

You think these dont happen in temples as common. My guess it is even more common. Especially in vrindavan where most devotees are widowed women and most priests are brahmin males. what do you think happens there.

iscon was a bed for exploits during 80-90s

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15 minutes ago, a_sagittarian said:

Kids adults ga turn ayyaka cheppakunda untara 

They won’t was they will get use to that and instead ask money and be happy 

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9 minutes ago, Jambhalheart said:

He has done such activities in temple premises , temple got impured bcoz of him so this pig needs to serve his rest of life in jail

If anyone exploits children at any religious place that person deserves punishment

This is very common don’t get over exited and this kind of things very common in gujjus Swamy Narayan ashramam 

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papam half cut mirchi gallu bagaa excite avthunatlu vunnaru, orai half cut mirchiss.. these type of activities are quite common in ur madrassas & masjids. daa  Those lullah mullahs with their half cuts abuse children a lot..

Kochi madrassa teacher who abused kids for 38 years held

https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2019/jun/02/kochi-madrassa-teacher-who-abused-kids-for-38-years-held-1984843.html

Madrasa teacher arrested for stealing gold, abusing children

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/madrasa-teacher-arrested-for-stealing-gold-abusing-children/article32552545.ece

 

google search chesthey elanti lullah mullahs gurunchi chala news articles vuntaayi.

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8 minutes ago, dasari123 said:

This is very common don’t get over exited and this kind of things very common in gujjus Swamy Narayan ashramam 

vaadevado abuse chesthey nenu enduku excite avthaa ley kaani

off course these r common in some religious places, but some devuni biddalu & half cut mirchis project such things as they are only reserved and they will happen only in hindu religioius places while comfortably turning a blind eye on such activities in churches , madrassas & masjids

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