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US citizen held in Kolkata for ‘molesting’ minor boy

Police said the hotel authorities had lodged a complaint accusing Powel of molesting a 14-year-old boy in his room.

A 50-YEAR-OLD US citizen was on Friday arrested for allegedly molesting a minor boy at a hotel on the EM Bypass here.

The accused, Leslie Allen Powel, had checked into the hotel Thursday afternoon. Bidhannagar Police said the hotel authorities had lodged a complaint accusing Powel of molesting a 14-year-old boy in his room.

“A case of child molestation has been started against him and the US Embassy in Kolkata has also been apprised of the incident. He will be produced before the court tomorrow,” said a Bidhannagar Commissionerate officer.

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It has been learnt that soon after checking in on Thursday, Powel had left the hotel. After about two hours, he had returned with the boy. “When security officials asked him about the boy’s identity, he had said the boy was suffering from some dental problems and since he hailed from a poor family, Powel wanted to help him out. He also produced some documents to win the confidence of security staff,” the police officer said.

According to the hotel staff, when Powel was later leaving with the boy, he appeared tensed. Suspicious, the security officials took the child away and interrogated them separately. “The child broke down and said that he had met Powel on Facebook. When he reached Kolkata, Powel took him to a shopping mall and bought him some gifts. Later, he took him to his room and tried to molest him. When the boy resisted, Powel forced him. Later, he gave the boy Rs 100 to keep mum,” a hotel official said.

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Police said Powel had arrived in Kolkata a few days ago and checked into other hotels. There, too, he had brought the boy.

First uploaded on: 28-11-2015 at 03:11 IST
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