Orange County Man Arrested for Sexual Assaulting 3 Women Met Via Online Dating App

Orange County Man Arrested for Sexual Assaulting 3 Women Met Via Online Dating App

Nov 8, 2022

An Orange County man was arrested Sunday at Los Angeles International Airport in connection with multiple rapes and sexual assaults occurring over the past year. Prosecutors say the suspect was arriving home from India when he was taken into custody by local Tustin police officials.

Trabuco Canyon Man Charged With Rape of Multiple Women Met Via Online Dating App

• Can I File a Lawsuit if I Was Sexually Assaulted by Someone I Met on a Dating App?
• Increased Sexual Assault Incidents Reported on Online Dating Apps/Websites
• AB 2777 Opens Three-Year Filing Window for California Sexual Assault Claims
• Schedule Your Free Los Angeles Sexual Assault Lawyer Consultation Today

Deep Ketan Vora, 30, of Trabuco Canyon was charged with sexually assaulting three women he met on a dating site between September 2021 and September 2022, according to a statement from the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.

The Orange County D.A. announced the following charges against Vora:

• Two counts of rape
• Three counts of sexual penetration by foreign object
• One count of false imprisonment
• One count of attempted kidnapping to commit a sex offense
• One count of forcible oral copulation
• One count of assault with the intent to commit a sex offense
• One count of sexual battery

All of the charges against Deep Ketan Vora are felonies. He faces a maximum sentence of 137 years and four months to life if convicted on all counts.

“Sexual predators do not stop preying on victims until they are stopped,” Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said. “Thankfully, the Tustin Police Department helped put a stop to this predator and likely prevented other women from being sexually assaulted.”

Two of the sexual assaults reportedly occurred in Tustin, with another taking place in Irvine. In one of the incidents, Vora allegedly took a victim to a pool and jacuzzi in a local apartment complex where he does not live, Orange County authorities said.

“Vora allegedly pinned one woman down and raped her after she tried to leave an Irvine hotel room last September. The woman was able to escape, but Vora allegedly tried to pull her back into the room by her ankle,” KTLA reported.

In another incident, Vora allegedly sexually assaulted a woman at two different locations in December 2021 before leaving her stranded at a restaurant, according to KTLA.

In a third incident believed to have occurred in September 2022, Vora is accused of sexually assaulting a woman at a Tustin jacuzzi after arranging to meet her via an online dating site/app.

Multiple media outlets have reported that Vora went by the name “Jay” on the undisclosed dating app.

Jail records indicate the rape suspect is currently being held without bail. The Orange County Register reported that Vora listed his occupation as an engineer.

The sexual assault suspect pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in the jail courtroom in Santa Ana. Vora was ordered to return to court on December 2 for a pretrial hearing at Santa Ana’s Central Justice Center.

Law enforcement officials are urging anyone with additional information related to a possible sexual assault committed by Deep Ketan Vora (or anyone who may have been victimized by him) to contact Tustin police Detective Charles Carter by phone at 714-573-3249 or via email at ccarter@tustinca.org.

Can I File a Lawsuit if I Was Sexually Assaulted by Someone I Met on a Dating App?

California sexual assault survivors may file civil lawsuits against perpetrators – or entities which enabled perpetrators – as a means of recovering financial compensation for various applicable damages:

• Pain and suffering
• Emotional or psychological trauma
• Counseling/therapy expenses (past and future)
• Hospital and medical bills (past and future)
• Punitive damages
• Lost wages
• Reduced earning capacity
• Diminished quality of life

Unlike criminal charges which are filed by the District Attorney’s Office, civil claims can be filed by a sexual assault lawyer on behalf of a survivor. A civil claim may be filed regardless of whether or not any criminal charges are ever made against a sexual predator. Moreover, the result of a criminal case has no bearing on the outcome of a civil lawsuit (even if a perpetrator is not criminally convicted, a civil claim can be successfully brought).

Increased Sexual Assault Incidents Reported on Online Dating Apps/Websites

A 2020 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center confirms that the majority of women do not consider online dating apps safe.

Some important statistics confirmed through Pew’s online dating survey include:

• 9% of online dating users described their experience as “very negative.”
• Approximately 40% of online dating users described their experience as “somewhat negative.”
• By a wide margin, Americans who reported using a dating site or app in the past year said their recent experience left them feeling more frustrated (45%) than hopeful (28%).
• 35% of current or recent users said that in the past year online dating has made them feel more pessimistic.
• 35% reported being sent a sexually explicit message or image they didn’t ask for.
• 28% reported being called an offensive name.
• 9% reported another user having threated to physically harm them.
• 25% of users said online dating sites or apps left them feeling more insecure.
• 37% of online dating users said someone continued to contact them on a dating site or app after they said they were not interested.
• 46% of Americans believe online dating apps/websites are not too or not at all safe.
• Younger women are especially likely to report having troublesome interactions on online dating platforms.

In response to a lack of trust in the safety of online dating apps as well as an increase in reported sexual assaults, Tinder announced earlier this year that users will now be able to use a criminal background check tool via the platform’s Safety Center.

Tinder users are able to search criminal records of potential dates, including public records of arrests, convictions, and sex offender registries across counties in the United States (where accessible). The background check tool – developed by nonprofit online safety company Garbo – screens for violent criminal offenses but specifically excludes drug charges or traffic violations.

In December 2019, a troubling ProPublica report exposed how Tinder and other dating apps repeatedly allowed known sex offenders to use their online services.

AB 2777 Opens Three-Year Filing Window for California Sexual Assault Claims

In September, California AB 2777 was signed into law by Governor Newsom. Officially titled the ‘Sexual Abuse Cover Up Accountability Act,’ AB 2777 gives adult survivors of sexual assault, abuse, and misconduct the opportunity to secure justice and financial compensation by filing civil lawsuits which would otherwise be barred by the statute of limitations.

“Under AB 2777, any claim seeking to recover damages suffered as a result of a sexual assault or other inappropriate conduct, communication, or activity of a sexual nature may now be filed between January 1, 2023 and December 31, 2026,” the bill’s language reads.

Dordulian Law Group’s (DLG) Los Angeles sexual assault attorneys are now accepting claims on behalf of adult survivors under AB 2777. To speak with one of our SAJE Team (Sexual Assault Justice Experts) lawyers about your case, contact us for a case evaluation at 818-322-4056.

To learn more about California Assembly Bill 2777 (AB 2777), please visit our recent blog.

Schedule Your Free Los Angeles Sexual Assault Lawyer Consultation Today

For a free, confidential, and no obligation consultation regarding your online dating app sexual assault civil claim, contact a member of DLG’s Sex Crimes Division today. Our dedicated and proven sexual assault attorneys have fought to recover more than $100,000,000.00 in settlements and verdicts for clients while maintaining a consistent 98% winning record.

We’ve helped survivors of sexual assault and rape secure numerous multi-million dollar financial damages awards.

Some recent DLG sexual assault and abuse case victories include:

• Rape survivor who met a man on a ‘Sugar Daddy’ dating website: undisclosed multi-million dollar settlement
• Rideshare rape survivor: $2,225,000.00 million settlement
• California AB 218 childhood sexual abuse lawsuit: $2,000,000.00 settlement

Ready to file a claim and pursue justice through a financial damages award? Our expert attorneys are available online or by phone now.

To take the first step toward securing the maximum cash settlement or verdict you deserve for your sexual assault claim, reach out to DLG’s reSAJE Team today. We will fight tirelessly on your behalf to secure justice following an incident involving rape, sexual assault, sexual abuse, or sexual misconduct.

DLG is a full-service and top-rated Glendale, California-based firm representing survivors of sexual assault. Founded by Sam Dordulian, a former sex crimes prosecutor and Deputy District Attorney for Los Angeles County, we believe, support, and fight aggressively for justice on behalf of all survivors.