Northern Ontario child abduction case won’t go to trial

A man from Brampton, Ont., is expected to take a plea deal in a child abduction case that dates back to 2023 in Thessalon.

The Brampton man charged with abducting a nine-year-old boy in northern Ontario two summers ago is expected to take a plea bargain and avoid a trial.

Manoj Govindbalunikam and his attorney Jessica Belisle appeared virtually in Sault Ste. Marie Superior Court on Wednesday morning.

On screen, Govindbalunikam was seen wearing a dark suit, a white, button-up dress shirt, glasses and a goatee. Two women were sitting behind him on either side.

Lured boy into car

Govindbalunikam is accused of luring a young boy, who was fishing by himself at the river in Thessalon, into his yellow Chevrolet Camaro the evening of Aug. 15, 2023.

Ontario Provincial Police said in a news release that the man approached the child, saying he was a real estate agent looking for property in the area and offered the boy a toy and ice cream.

Being a small town with a population of about 1,260 people, the flashy car caught the attention of a neighbour who called the family when she saw the boy get into the stranger’s vehicle.

With the help of the neighbour, the parents were able to track down the car in another part of town and found their son inside with the man – who was 35 years old at the time -- eating ice cream.

The boy’s father exchanged words with the driver before Govindbalunikam handed him a business card and drove off.

He was arrested the next day in Sault Ste. Marie, about 90 kilometres west.

Trial cancelled

Govindbalunikam was scheduled to enter a plea at Wednesday morning’s hearing, but that didn’t end up happening.

While Belisle said the matter is resolved, she said she didn’t want her client to enter a guilty plea until she and the Crown can work together to create an agreed statement of facts, so they know exactly what he is pleading guilty to.

A disposition has been scheduled for the afternoon of May 21.

The accused is expected to plead guilty that day, but it is unclear if it will be to the original charge of abducting a person under 14 by taking or enticing or something else.

Sentencing will likely not take place at the next hearing date as the court heard a pre-sentence report will be ordered outlining the accused’s background, circumstances and potential for rehabilitation.

The court confirmed that the pre-trial and trial dates have been vacated in this matter. The accused had previously elected to be tried by a judge alone instead of a jury.

While the exact charge Govindbalunikam is expected to admit to is unknown, the punishment for abducting someone under 14 has a maximum of two years less a day in prison and/or a $5,000 fine.

After the hearing Wednesday, the boy’s father told CTV News Northern Ontario the family is very upset about the delay.

“It’s not right; he knows exactly what he’s pleading to,” the man said.

“It’s just stall tactics.”

Ties to real estate

A popular real estate website still bears his profile with a short-formed last name, Nikam.

Previous attempts to reach the brokerage he is listed with online have been unsuccessful.

CTV News provided both names to the Real Estate Council of Ontario, which said no one with the name listed online is currently registered to trade in real estate in the province, but records indicate the accused is a former registrant.

“While we can’t confirm this is the same individual, we have a record of someone with a similar name who was registered as (a) real estate salesperson in Ontario until Aug. 17, 2023,” RECO said in an email.

“While we can’t speak to this specific case, we can tell you that the process of registering as a real estate agent in Ontario requires completing a rigorous education curriculum, and the successful completion of exams. All agents are further required to demonstrate fitness for registration by meeting certain prescribed requirements. Generally speaking, a criminal conviction would be a factor of consideration for any approval process.”

The accused man spent five days in jail before being released on bail.

According to court documents about his release obtained by CTV News, he was residing with his surety in Etobicoke and had to put up $5,000 for bail.

The charge has not yet been proven in court.