A registered sex offender pleaded not guilty Monday to sexually assaulting two women in Newport Beach.
Navdeep Singh Jhaj, 33, of Orange, was charged Thursday with two counts of assault with the intent to commit a sexual offense in a burglary, a count of sexual penetration of an unconscious victim and failing as a sex offender to notify law enforcement within five days of a change of address, all felonies.
Jhaj, who was arrested Thursday and was being held on $1 million bail, listed his occupation as chef, according to jail records.
Jhaj pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in the jail courtroom in Santa Ana and was next due in court March 21 for a pretrial hearing in the Harbor Justice Center in Newport Beach.
Jhaj is accused of attacking the women March 4, according to the criminal complaint.
Jhaj pleaded guilty to felony sexual battery Oct. 27, 2017, and was sentenced to a year in jail and five years of probation. As part of his plea deal, a count of sexual penetration by a foreign object and force and a count of sexual penetration by foreign object under belief the perpetrator is another person, both felonies, as well as a misdemeanor count of touching an intimate part of another person were dismissed.
Newport Beach Police Department Sgt. Shawn Dugan confirmed the defendant’s arrest, but would not comment further.
Orange County District Attorney’s Office prosecutors did not immediately respond to requests for further details.