HYDERABAD (INDIA)
Syndigate.info
October 4, 2018
A Catholic priest from Telangana, preaching in Rapid City diocese in South Dakota state, was arrested in the United States for sexual contact with a minor. Thirty-eight-year-old John Praveen, also known as John Praveen Kumar Itukulapati, was arrested on Tuesday (Wednesday in India). He has been charged with two counts of sexual contact with a child under 16, a class 3 felony which carries a punishment of up to 15 years in prison and/or a maximum fine of $30,000 on each count.
According to South Dakota-based Capital Journal, the Rev. John Praveen made a first appearance in court on Wednesday before a magistrate judge via interactive TV from the Pennington County jail in Rapid City. The judge kept his bond at $100,000 cash only and set Praveen’s preliminary hearing for October 18. The Rapid City Police Department, in a statement, said that their department and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) conducted a joint investigation on September 30 when a juvenile victim came forward to report the incidents.
The investigation revealed that Praveen made sexual contact with the child on two separate occasions.
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