A Pennsylvania man was convicted of raping a woman after he helped her find a home in Richmond Hill four years ago, prosecutors announced Friday.
Ashok Singh, 58, was found guilty of first- and third-degree rape, and second-degree unlawful imprisonment after a two-week trial.
“The victim in this case met the defendant at a temple and trusted him when he offered to help her find a place to live,” said Acting Queens District Attorney John M. Ryan. “Sadly, she had no idea he was a predator. The defendant raped the victim and later apologized for the attack and promised to ‘never do it again without her permission.’ A jury weighed all the evidence and found the defendant guilty. He will now be incarcerated as punishment for this heinous crime.”
According to trial testimony, on Dec. 26, 2015, the 40-year-old female victim visited a house of worship to see if anyone had posted an apartment for rent on the bulletin board there. At the temple, she met Singh, who offered to help her find a place to stay and they exchanged phone numbers.
Four days later, Singh called the victim and told her that he found her a place to live and that she needed to move in immediately. After helping her move in, Singh went grocery shopping for food and wine, which the victim refused to drink. Singh then went into a rage, threw her on the bed and raped her.
After Singh fell asleep, the victim fled the apartment and called a friend for help. The NYPD was notified and the victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment. While she was in the hospital, the victim got a call from Singh, who left a voicemail on her cellphone stating in sum and substance that he was sorry and he would never do it again without her permission.
Singh’s DNA was a match to vaginal swabs taken from the victim at the hospital during a sexual assault evidence collection exam.
Singh is due to return to court on Dec. 19, where he faces up to 25 years in prison.
