Ontario man charged with lewd act on a child

RANCHO CUCAMONGA -- An Ontario man was arrested and charged with committing a lewd act on a child this week for allegedly fondling a 5-year-old boy's genitals at an apartment complex pool.

Sukhwinder Singh, 18, pleaded not guilty to the charge this morning in West Valley Superior Court. He told police when he was arrested that he only tickled the boy.

Both Singh and the boy are residents of an apartment complex at 1352 W. Fifth St. in Ontario. On Tuesday, Singh and the boy were both swimming in the pool at the complex.

The boy told police that Singh tickled him, then put his hands in the boy's swimsuit and touched his genitals. The boy told police that Singh committed the act four times, according to a police report attached to Singh's court file.

Singh told police that he moved into the apartment complex on about Aug. 17, and he has gone swimming every day.

He told Ontario police officer Randy Barron that he wanted to make friends with the boy, who was swimming with a 7-year-old friend, and tickled the boy when he was in the pool.

Barron wrote: "I asked (Singh) if he thought it was strange that he was playing with a little kid and he stated that he makes friends with everyone and no matter what age the person is he will make friends if they want to be a friend."

The boy's 7-year-old friend told police he saw Singh's hand in his friend's swimsuit.

Singh, who was born in Chandigarh, India, told police that he is a student at Universal Technical Institute in Rancho Cucamonga.

He remained jailed this afternoon at West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga in lieu of $100,000 bail. He is next due in court on Thursday.

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