Man Arrested in Sting Pleads Guilty to Arranging Sex with Boy

A Cathedral City man who arranged to have sex with a 14-year-old boy pleaded guilty today to plotting the meeting and faces up to two years in prison.
Balwinder Singh, 24, pleaded guilty to sending harmful matter to a minor. He had also been charged with contacting a minor with the intent to commit a felony and arranging a meeting with a minor for purposes of lewd conduct, but those charges will be dismissed as part of his plea agreement.
Sentencing is set for June 20 in Indio.
Singh was arrested Feb. 17 after a police detective posed online as a 14-year-old boy who Singh had previously tried to meet for sex.
Cathedral City police officers received a tip two weeks prior from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, stating that Singh was sending “harmful matter” to the boy, said Lt. Glen Haas. Police found that Singh had previously arranged a meeting with the boy that never took place.
With the permission of the boy and the boy’s parents, a detective posed as the boy online and made plans to meet for sex at a parking lot on Avenida Lalo Guerrero, where Singh arrived with condoms and alcohol, Haas said. He was arrested without incident.

Singh had also used the name Gogga Saini online. At the time of his arrest police suspected more children had been victimized.