B.C. man who 'bragged' about sexually assaulting teen girl sentenced
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A B.C. man who raped a teenage girl, shared photos of her, and boasted to his friends about his crimes in a group chat, lost his bid to have the case tossed over delays and has been sentenced.
Warning: This story contains disturbing details.
A B.C. man who raped a teenage girl, shared photos of her, and boasted to his friends about his crimes in a group chat, lost his bid to have the case tossed over delays and has been sentenced.
Prakash Lekhraj was convicted of one count of sexual assault and one count of making or publishing child pornography after a trial in November of last year, according to the B.C. Prosecution Service.
After his conviction, he applied to have the charges stayed on the grounds that his right to be tried within a reasonable time had been violated, filing what’s referred to as a Jordan application. Judge Ellen Gordon’s decision on that matter was posted online last week, rejecting the application and shedding some light on what Lekhraj was accused of and what he told the court at his trial.
“Prakash Lekhraj sexually assaulted the complainant, then a teenaged girl, by, among other acts, both vaginal and anal penetration. He photographed her and via a group text message bragged to his friends that, ‘She took it like a champ; in every hole,’” the decision said.
“He was convicted … after admitting to the acts complained of and advising the court that he never needs to seek the consent of a female to have sexual relations with her.”
The Supreme Court of Canada’s “ceiling” for what constitutes trial in provincial court within a reasonable time is 18 months from the date on which charges are sworn. Lekhraj’s trial was initially scheduled to start in March of 2023, well within the window.
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