A Surrey man who volunteers to coach youth soccer is facing charges in Washington after allegedly pursuing sex with a 12-year-old girl.
According to a statement issued Wednesday, a 47-year-old was arrested Tuesday afternoon at a park in Burlington, after crossing into the U.S. at Blaine.
The accused coaches a U16 boys team, and has been suspended until further notice, Surrey United Soccer Club executive director Martin Foden confirmed.
According to a document filed in U.S. District Court in Seattle, Kuldip "Kelly" Singh Mahal is accused of responding to a "casual encounters" post on Craigslist last month and communicating with what he believed to be a 12-year-old girl. All suspect communications, however – including sexually explicit messages and photos – were sent to an undercover agent with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations.
The communications continued even after the agent made "her" age clear, according to the court document.
"First off, i just want to make sure ur cool with my age, some guys get freaked out…" the agent states in an excerpt from a Jan. 15 email.
Mahal is accused of texting a message the following day indicating he is fine with the age and asking the "girl" to "keep this only between us, no matter what."
Exchanges that followed "continued to increase in their sexual content and graphic nature," the court document states.
“In three weeks’ time, the defendant went from responding to an online posting to traveling from Canada to Washington State to meet a minor for illicit sex,” Brad Bench, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Seattle, said in the news release.
“Individuals who cross international borders to sexually abuse children, whether they are Americans travelling overseas or foreigners travelling to the U.S., are within HSI’s jurisdiction and will be held to account for their crimes.”
Mahal was arrested just after noon Feb. 3 in Skagit River Park. He appeared in U.S. District Court in Seattle Wednesday charged with attempted enticement of a minor.
If convicted, he faces a minimum of 10 years in jail; the maximum sentence is life in prison.
According to U.S. officials, the accused works as a facilities manager for a Vancouver, B.C. tech firm.
Foden told Peace Arch News Thursday that Surrey United officials are "just as shocked and concerned as the rest of the general public."
They – and a representative of the Mounties' Integrated Child Exploitation Unit – will be meeting with the affected team's parents today, he said.
Foden said the club has confirmed that all standard protocols were followed in regards to the accused's recruitment as a coach. He has been involved with the club for 11 seasons.
"We did receive a satisfactory clear (criminal)-record check," Foden said. "We'd done our due diligence.
"That doesn't make the situation any better."
Mahal remains in custody pending a hearing set for Monday (Feb. 9).