Man charged for luring, sexually exploiting teen: Winnipeg police

Winnipeg police says a 40-year-old man has been charged in connection to a child sexual assault investigation.

WPS says in August, they received a report that a girl had been sexually assaulted by a man who had befriended her on social media.

Through an investigation, police learned that the suspect was a 40-year-old man, roughly six feet tall, 160 lbs., with short dark-colour hair, and a short-haired goatee, with scaring on his forehead.

Police also learned that the man used the false identity of “Sam Rachen” and he contacted and lured the girl, who was in her teens on social media.

It is believed they talked for over three weeks, at which time they arranged to meet and engage in sexual contact in exchange for alcohol and money.

Police were able to identify a man linked to the sexual assaults and took him into custody on Sept. 3.

Since then, police have charged Sanjay Phulchand Rathod with sexual assault, three counts of obtaining sexual services from a person under 18, and luring a person under 18 years of age by means of telecommunications.