Raleigh daycare owner accused of sex crime with 5-year-old

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- A Raleigh daycare owner is being accused of a sexual crime against a child.

Malay Jindal, 58, has been charged with statutory sex offense with a child.

He is suspected of engaging in a sexual act with a 5-year-old on July 29, according to court documents.

"The allegations happened in late July of this year. The five-year-old victim here disclosed to her mother and gave a similar disclosure the next day at the doctor. She provided idiosyncratic details about the book she was reading and said Mr. Jindal had scratchy fingers," said the prosecuting attorney. "She spoke with a forensic interviewer who questioned her, the details and she's remained consistent throughout."

According to Jindal's LinkedIn page, he's an owner of The Goddard School on Creedmoor Road in north Raleigh.

It is not known if the crime was committed at the school. Records show he was running the school since 2010.

"Mr. Jindal has denied the allegations. We cooperated from beginning and gave access to Raleigh police of entire premises. They interviewed teachers and Mr. Jindal," said the defense attorney. "It is his intent to plead not guilty. On this particular day of the alleged incident, he was covering for another teacher who was out for lunch. There were at least 11 students in that classroom, and it was naptime."

The case is drawing mixed reaction from parents of students attending the Goddard School.

One mom posted online saying she's had hundreds of encounters with Jindal, and she's never had the feeling that he'd do what he is being charged with.

Another mom said she never thought she'd have to ask her daughter the questions she had to ask after hearing the news.

Jindal is being held on a $2 million bond. He will have electronic monitoring and was ordered to have no contact with children under the age of 18.