A Nepalese national who used a deceptive job advertisement to lure a young woman to an empty office building in Sydney, where he then raped her, is scheduled to be released from prison within weeks. Rameshwar Prasad Singh, aged 33, was sentenced in the New South Wales District Court after pleading guilty to one count of sexual intercourse without consent.
Deceptive Job Advertisement on Nepalese App
The court heard that the 19-year-old victim responded to a fraudulent job posting that Singh had placed on the Nepalese classifieds application Kaam Kotha. The advertisement specifically targeted females, offering a role in Ashfield for fixing small tasks and assisting an interior designer, with a pay rate of $29 per hour in cash.
Premeditated Meeting and Building Access
Singh arranged to meet the woman at Ashfield Mall, under the guise of a job interview, before escorting her to a nearby office building on Cavill Avenue. Government planning documents indicated that the premises were vacant at the time and slated for demolition as part of a major redevelopment project.
Upon arrival, the victim grew suspicious when she noticed all the lights were off in the building. Singh falsely claimed that the lighting sometimes malfunctioned. When she inquired about the absence of other people, he deceitfully assured her that fifteen additional employees would arrive shortly and that she needed to be early as a new recruit.
Escalation of the Assault and Victim's Ordeal
Feeling increasingly uneasy, the woman called a friend and attempted to leave by pretending her sister was ill. However, Singh blocked her exit in the elevator, forcibly took her phone, and raped her on a lower floor of the building. Court documents detailed that the victim pleaded with the offender to release her, pushing against his shoulders repeatedly, but she was unable to break free.
During the harrowing incident, Singh warned the woman not to disclose the assault to anyone and falsely promised to let her go after five minutes. The victim later told police she feared for her life throughout the ordeal.
Escape and Subsequent Arrest
The woman managed to escape via a fire exit after Singh momentarily left to retrieve his phone from an upper floor. She fled to a nearby Chemist Warehouse to raise the alarm. Singh was arrested several days later and has remained in custody since.
Background of the Offender and Legal Proceedings
At the time of the crime, Singh was in Australia on a temporary graduate visa. His LinkedIn profile identified him as a postgraduate student at the Australian Institute of Higher Education, a mechanical engineer, and a non-fiction writer.
In sentencing, Singh received a 25 percent discount for an early guilty plea. He was jailed for three years with a non-parole period of 21 months, making him eligible for release in May.
The case underscores the dangers of online job scams and highlights the severe trauma inflicted on victims of such predatory crimes.
