Washington DC: An Indian-origin man has been sentenced to seven years in prison in the US after he was found guilty of rape. Ashok Singh, 59, of Pennsylvania was convicted at trial of forcible rape, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said on Monday. He has been sentenced to seven years in prison. Singh was accused of forcibly raping a woman after he had helped her find a place to live and aided her in moving in a basement apartment in Queens in December of 2015.

"The victim met the defendant in a Queens temple and trusted him when he offered to assist her in finding a place to live. This defendant, however, was a predator who waited for an opportunity to victimize this woman. "In the victim's new home, the defendant forced himself on her and then later apologised for the attack telling her he would 'never do it again without permission,'" Katz said.