Former Clovis police employee sentenced in child sex abuse case of 2 boys
A one-time employee of Clovis Police Department was sentenced Wednesday to 12 years in prison for sexually abusing two young teens who family members say the man groomed.
Fresno County Judge Jon Kapetan sentenced 28-year-old Mitchell Singh to 12 years in prison on one count of continuous sexual abuse of a child. Singh, who was arrested about two years ago, had pleaded no contest to the single count.
A relative of the victims who was in the courtroom shouted out “You’re going to rot, (expletive)” in the courtroom as Singh, who was not in custody before the hearing, was led off in handcuffs.
Fresno County Deputy District Attorney Andrew Janz said that Singh had victimized two teen boys in the same family after buying them gifts and taking them on trips while the family was experiencing personal turmoil.
Investigators said Singh met at least one of the teens in 2015 while working at a summer camp, and the first sexual offense happened in 2017. Prosecutors alleged more than 30 unlawful acts with the minor.
“It’s difficult, because we had to work out a plea deal,” Janz said. “In cases like this, we want to make sure to protect the mental health of the folks who have been victimized, and it was really hard on these kids.”
The mother of the victims spoke in open court Wednesday, saying Singh abused the family’s trust. The Bee does not identify victims of sexual abuse nor their family members without their consent.
“Because of this, I’ve been told about the word ‘groom.’ He groomed us,” the mother said. “That was so evil.”
She said the boys have had some lasting effects, like losing interest in sports, turning to “self-medication” and falling behind in school, but are getting back on track.
The crime carries a maximum sentence of 16 years, according to prosecutors, but the mother said the family chose to agree with a plea deal to avoid the pain of a trial.
One of the sexual abuse survivors held back tears as he said the law should allow a stricter sentence.
The other teen boy said he’s found it difficult to trust new people, and has to stay busy to keep from thinking about the abuse.
“I never thought this would happen to me. It’s drastically changed how I think of people,” he said. “I feel like I should be able to be a kid and not have this on my mind.”
Singh is a former employee of the Clovis Police Department, where he worked as a community service officer — a non-sworn civilian position. He was released from probationary employment with the city in July 2019 for reasons unrelated to the charges, Clovis police said.
The department issued a statement Wednesday, noting the crimes occurred while Singh was off-duty. ”We support today’s sentencing and hope it provides the victim and the victim’s family a sense of closure,” the statement said.
The judge denied Singh’s request to be able to attend to his widowed mother later this year when she has a major surgery, according to Chris Caine, Singh’s attorney. Prosecutors also objected, saying Singh is a flight risk.
Kapetan told the family he was outraged by the crimes. “I hate even calling this a crime,” Kapetan said. “That’s an understatement.”
This story was originally published September 29, 2021 at 12:26 PM.
