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A Hindu priest has been charged with sexual assault after allegedly attacking a woman while pretending to perform a religious ceremony in Oshawa, according to Durham Regional Police.
Police reported that they responded on Tuesday to a complaint about sexual assault near Harmony Road North and Conlin Road East.
Investigators say the victim’s family had brought in a Hindu priest from the United States for a religious ritual. The accused allegedly convinced the woman that she was possessed by evil spirits and needed a specific ceremony to be cured.
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The priest then supposedly urged the woman to go to a private location, where he sexually assaulted her under the pretense of conducting the ceremony, police said.
Officers later arrested him without any issues.
Police have identified the suspect as Rajendranauth Doodnauth Maraj, 50, from Richmond Hill, N. Y. He faces one count of sexual assault and has been held for a bail hearing.
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Investigators believe there may be other victims and have shared a photo of the accused on the Durham Regional Police website.
If anyone has information, they are asked to contact Det. Const. Cronin of the East Division Criminal Investigations Branch at 1-888-579-1520 ext. 1605 or Durham Regional Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
The charge has not been proven in court.
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