Nepalese spiritual leader “Buddha Boy” found guilty of sexual abuse of minors

A controversial spiritual leader known as “Buddha Boy” has been convicted by a court in Nepal of sexually abusing a minor. The leader, whose real name is Ram Bahadur Bomjan, was arrested in January on suspicion of involvement in the disappearance of at least four of his followers.

A judge at the Sarlahi District Court found him guilty of sexually abusing a minor girl and said the verdict would be announced on July 1. He faces a minimum of 12 years in prison, but can still appeal the conviction.

Allegations of abuse and misconduct against Bomjan date back more than a decade. In 2010, dozens of assault complaints were filed against him, after he said he beat followers for disrupting his meditation.

The 33-year-old had been on the run for years and was arrested by officials from Nepal’s Central Bureau of Investigation on the outskirts of Kathmandu in January this year. During the arrest, police also seized Nepalese banknotes worth $227,000 and other foreign currencies worth $23,000.

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