Union County Man Sentenced to Up to 27½ Years in Prison for Sexual Assault and Kidnapping of Teen Relative

A man in Union County, who was convicted by a jury in September for rape, sexual battery, gross sexual imposition, and kidnapping was sentenced in Union County on Monday.

According to a release from the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, Sai Praveen Lingam was sentenced to 25 to 27 and a half years in prison.

Lingam, whose attorney argued at trial that the sexual acts were consensual, told the pre-sentence investigator that nothing had happened between him and the 16-year-old victim, claiming she had lied. This, assistant prosecutor Sam Hobbs argued, showed that Lingam had no remorse.

The Union County Grand Jury indicted Lingam in January 2024 following an investigation conducted by the Dublin Police Department. The investigation began in September 2022 when the victim, a 16-year-old relative of Lingam, disclosed the abuse.

Following the sentencing hearing, the victim and her family met with and thanked the prosecutors and victim advocates for believing in her, even as she began to lose faith.

For victims of sexual assault, especially children and young teens, coming forward is one of the hardest things they will ever do. These crimes strike the deepest sense of trust, safety, and innocence. Victims often carry feelings of shame, guilt, or confusion, emotions that are not their fault but are common responses to trauma. Many fear they won’t be believed, or that they’ll be blamed for what happened to them.

The path to justice requires them to relive the most painful moments of their lives—first to investigators, then in courtrooms filled with strangers, in front of the person who hurt them. The process can be overwhelming, and the scrutiny of cross-examination can feel like another violation.

Yet despite this, this young survivor found the courage to speak out. Her bravery deserves our recognition and respect. It takes extraordinary strength to come forward, to tell the truth, and to face her abuser in a court of law.