The man arrested last summer for the alleged abduction of a nine-year-old Thessalon boy has elected for a trial by judge.
Manoj Govindbalunikam, a 36-year-old from Brampton, was arrested in August by Sault Ste. Marie OPP after allegedly approaching a boy who was fishing in Thessalon, offering him a toy and taking him for ice cream in his yellow Camaro.
Govindbalunikam has not been convicted of the charge and is considered innocent until proven guilty.
In an Elliot Lake courtroom on Thursday, Justice Dana Peterson was overseeing the next steps for Govindbalunikam requested by duty counsel, acting on instructions from the accused's counsel Jessica Belisle. Govindbalunikam did not appear in person or by video, and was not required to at this stage.
Facing a single count of abduction of a person under 14 (take or entice), Govindbalunikam's defence has elected for him to face a trial by judge only in Superior Court, not a trial by jury.
No trial date has been set, and Belisle asked that the matter be adjourned to May 29.
Govindbalunikam is currently on bail, with conditions that he be under a curfew from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. and be prohibited from attending public parks or swimming areas. He must also remain away from the municipality of Thessalon except to drive through to attend trial and cannot be in communication with the victim and his family.
He was also ordered to surrender his passport to Peel Regional Police and was required to pledge $10,000 toward bail, with an additional $5,000 by his surety. Govindbalunikam is banned from having prohibited weapons and cannot be in a position of trust with a person under 16 years of age.
An officer with East Algoma OPP detachment told SooToday after the Aug. 16 arrest that the circumstances surrounding the alleged abduction are "bizarre," but that the boy was ultimately found unharmed.