NC State student charged with child-sex crimes

A student at N.C. State University is charged with sex offenses involving a 12-year-old.

Raleigh police investigators say Deep Inder Singh, 21, pretended to be a 15-year-old boy while attempting to engage in a sexual relationship with the child.

Police also accused Singh, who lives on M.E. Valentine Drive, of soliciting nude photos from the girl, according to a search warrant made public this week in Wake County.

N.C. State spokesman Mick Kulikowski confirmed on Wednesday that Singh is a student at the university.

Singh has been charged with one felony count each of indecent liberties with a child and attempted first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, according to the arrest warrant.

Investigators say Singh committed and attempted to commit "a lewd and lascivious act upon the body" of the child. He's also accused of attempting to "coerce and encourage a minor, 12 years of age, to engage in sexual activity" by soliciting nude photos.

Police think the offenses happened on March 19 and March 20.

Police seized two computers and Singh's iPhone on March 24. A detective obtained a search warrant after another officer listened to a phone conversation between Singh and the child.

The officer "heard the suspect admit to knowingly attempting to engage in a relationship with the 12-year-old victim while pretending to be a 15-year-old boy," the detective stated.

Singh was arrested on March 20 and confessed to asking the child for nude pictures, according to police.

He was taken into custody at the Wake County jail and ordered to have no contact with the alleged victim. He is not allowed to have contact with any person under the age of 18 unless an adult is present.

Singh was released from custody March 23 after posting a $200,000 bond, court records show.

This story was originally published April 11, 2018 at 3:55 PM with the headline "NC State student charged with child-sex crimes."