Indian 'fortune teller' charged with teen sexual assault in Australia

A 31-year-old Indian man purporting to be a "fortune teller" has been arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a teenage girl in Australia, a media report said on Tuesday.

Arjun Muniyappa was arrested at Sydney International Airport on Monday night after he tried to board a plane to Singapore, the New South Wales police was quoted as saying the Sydney Morning Herald.

Muniyappa approached the 14-year-old girl and offered her free fortune telling services before sexually assaulting her in Sydney's south-west Macquarie Street in Liverpool on Sunday, the report said.

He is self-proclaimed fortune teller working from an astrology centre in Liverpool.

With the assistance of interpreters, investigators spoke with Muniyappa before executing a crime scene warrant, the report said.

 

On Monday, investigators were alerted by the Australian Federal Police that Muniyappa was at Sydney International Airport and attempting to board a plane to Singapore.

He was arrested and taken to Mascot Police Station, where he was charged with two counts of intentionally sexually touching a child under 16, and three counts of aggravated sexual assault against a victim under the age of 16.