A Cathedral City man has been arrested, accused of trying to arrange a sexual encounter with a 14-year-old boy, according to police.
Police arrested Balwinder Singh, 24, on Thursday in a Cathedral City parking lot on Avenue Lalo Guerrero. Singh, who also goes by the name Gogga Saini, was in possession of condoms and alcohol, reports KMIR.
Singh had been communicating with a 14-year-old boy from Cathedral City, according to The Desert Sun, and had previously tried to meet the boy in a parking lot, police said.
The Cathedral City Police Department, working on a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, began working on the case two weeks ago.
Detectives posed as the boy online, with the permission of the victim and his parents, and Singh made plans to meet the victim for sex in the parking lot. When Singh arrived, detectives were waiting for him and he was arrested without incident.
He faces charges of sending harmful matter to a minor, contacting a minor with intent to commit a felony, and arranging a meeting with a minor for purposes of lewd conduct.
Officials believe it is possible Sing reached out to other victims in the area as well. Anyone with information is asked to call the Cathedral City Police Department at 760-770-0313.
