Sexual assault charges withdrawn in lieu of peace bond

A 42-year-old Lethbridge man accused of sexually assaulting a woman while she was showing a home last spring has been placed on a six-month peace bond.

Maneesh Kumar Khokar had been scheduled to stand trial Tuesday in Lethbridge provincial court on one count of sexual assault, but the trial was cancelled and last month the charge was withdrawn in lieu of the peace bond.

During the term of the peace bond, Khokar must not have any contact with the woman, and he is prohibited from attending any Lethbridge show homes or other home sale sites unless accompanied by another adult.

A court-imposed ban prohibits publishing any information that could identify the victim or the company for which she was showing the home.

Police reported last May that a 23-year-old woman was working at a city show home when a man entered the property and asked to view another home down the street. The woman accompanied the man to the empty home, police said, and the assault occurred while she was showing him around the basement.

According to a police report the victim was able to send a message to nearby co-workers for help and a colleague arrived just as the man drove away.