A business student publicly exposed his genitals in front of three women in three separate incidents, a court has heard.
Rishabh Mahajan (30), of Gardiner Street Lower, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to four counts of offensive conduct of a sexual nature likely to cause fear, distress or alarm to named persons.
He also pleaded guilty to carrying out a sexual assault relating to these incidents, which took place late at night on various dates in October and November 2024.
The court heard Mahajan, an Indian national, arrived in Ireland a month before the offences to study at the Smurfit business school in University College Dublin.
Garda Patrick Hynes told barrister Simon Donagh, prosecuting, that at about 1am on October 23rd, 2024, a woman was working a night shift in a city-centre office building with a large glass front when she saw a man standing outside looking at her with his genitals exposed.
Mahajan was masturbating while looking directly at the woman. The court heard the interior of the building was well lit up and the defendant could see the woman.
The victim went to the window to tell the defendant to go away, but he laughed at her. She called gardaí, and Mahajan left when he saw her making this call.
A few days later, Mahajan appeared again at the woman’s workplace at about 1.15am. He pulled his pants down and began masturbating while looking at her. The woman felt disgusted and was scared she might encounter him while on her way to work, the court heard.
The defendant returned a few days later and exposed himself again. He came up to the window and wiped his hands on the glass before walking away.
Garda Hynes told Judge Martina Baxter that all three incidents were captured on CCTV. He agreed with the judge that the offending was “quite brazen” and took place in “quite an exposed part” of the city.
Garda Stephanie Traynor told the court that at about 6am on October 11th, Mahajan was standing outside a youth hostel when a member of staff saw him looking at her.
He opened his coat and she saw his pants were pulled down and his genitals were exposed. Mahajan then began masturbating.
The court heard the fourth victim was walking home from a night out on Halloween when she saw Mahajan standing on a corner masturbating. She walked past and began to call gardaí when Mahajan ran to her and touched her bottom.
The woman screamed at him. The sexual assault was recorded on CCTV and Mahajan was identified and arrested in early November.
He told gardaí he could not remember carrying out the offence. The court heard Mahajan was standing in a “very public” place “waiting for anyone to go by”.
Garda Hynes agreed with barrister Patrick Flynn, defending, that while committing these offences, the defendant made no attempts to conceal his identity with face coverings. Counsel said his client had his clothes back on when he carried out the sexual assault by touching the woman.
Mr Flynn said his client was living in the Smithfield but is now in homeless accommodation and has not come to adverse Garda attention since these offences.
Counsel said he was instructed to offer an apology on his client’s behalf to all victims.
The judge adjourned sentence to next May 19th and remanded Mahajan on continuing bail. She ordered the defendant to provide the Probation Service with his contact details.