Warning: This story contains disturbing details.
A young Indigenous woman with a developmental disability from British Columbia’s Fraser Valley describes feeling afraid and broken after a sexual assault by a man she met online.
“I’m still scared. It hurts that I feel unsafe still to go to the mall by myself,” said the woman, identified only as Sarah. She shares her experience publicly to warn other women.
The Online Grooming
Sarah, born with a brain injury, connected with a man on social media who claimed they shared a mutual friend. They communicated online, including via FaceTime, for about two months. He then persuaded her to leave her parents’ home and move in with him in Kamloops, her first boyfriend.
Her parents captured video of his vehicle arriving at night as Sarah sneaked out on his instructions. “He told me to take off my shoes so I won’t make any sounds,” she recalled. He also dictated a note for her parents, whom she said had never met or heard of him, an international student. The note read that she was moving with her boyfriend.
The Drive and Assault
In the car, Sarah said he called a friend, exclaiming, “I have her, I have her.” In Hope, he took her phone to prevent tracking. At his Kamloops home, she alleges he sexually assaulted her. “I couldn’t stop him. I was scared,” Sarah said. “I just froze.”
Family’s Desperate Search
Sarah’s parents discovered her missing the next morning and grew frantic. Her mother posted an emotional plea on social media for her return. They reported her missing to police, but initially felt officers did not grasp the urgency.
About 24 hours later, Sarah regained her phone, allowing the family to bring her home safely.
Suspect Charged and at Large
Jogeshwarjeet Malhotra, 24, faces a sexual assault charge, which remains unproven in court. An RCMP “E” Division spokesperson stated Malhotra is wanted on an outstanding warrant. “Kamloops RCMP is actively attempting to locate him but believe he is no longer in Canada,” the spokesperson said in an email. “If the public has any information regarding his whereabouts, please contact us.”
Lingering Trauma and Call for Awareness
The incident continues to affect the family deeply. “I hold a lot of anger of what he’s done to my daughter. He took her innocence away,” Sarah’s mother said. Her father added, “What’s unfair is that these individuals target vulnerable people like our daughter.”
Sarah now suffers from PTSD, nightmares, and insecurities, her mother explained. She plans education sessions on online safety for young women, stressing that anyone can be a target. Sarah hopes her story protects others: “I just want girls and women…to be safe online.”
