Indian snowshoe racer to fight sex abuse charge

By AP
Published

BLOOMINGDALE, N.Y. (AP) A snowshoe racer from India accused of sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl has rejected a plea deal that would have allowed him to return home.

Tanveer Hussain, who competed at the World Snowshoe Championships in the Adirondack Mountain village of Saranac Lake, tells the Adirondack Daily Enterprise he will stay and contest the allegations.

Defense attorney Brian Barrett says the 24-year-old racer from Kashmir wants to clear his name.

Hussain was arrested last week, four days after competing in the championships. He's charged with first-degree sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child. Village police say the charges stem from Hussain ''engaging in a passionate kiss'' with the victim and touching her in an intimate area over her clothing.

Hussain remains free after posting bail.