Child molestation charge against Winlock gas station clerk dismissed

May 22-The Winlock gas station clerk accused of molesting a 13-year-old girl inside the store will serve no jail time, after a judge dismissed the charge in Lewis County Superior Court Wednesday.

The dismissal came following an oral motion by the state.

Bhupinder Singh, 44, of Centralia, pleaded guilty to the remaining charge of supplying liquor to a minor. He was sentenced to 364 days in jail with 360 days suspended and four days of credit for time served, effectively eliminating any further jail time.

As part of his suspended sentence, Singh must commit no new criminal law violations or alcohol-related infractions for two years.

Singh previously faced up to 10 years in prison for second-degree child molestation.

Deputy Prosecutor Brandi Archer told The Chronicle Friday that the motion to dismiss the charge was "based on evidentiary issues."

"When the minor victim was interviewed the story changed and the state could no longer prove the charge," Archer said in an email.

Singh's defense attorney, Chris Baum, said he requested the interview.

"During that interview the alleged victim gave a statement that was not consistent with what was said previously," Baum said in a Thursday email.

He added that the alleged victim also provided his client "with a statutory defense."

"In my opinion it was for these reasons the prosecutor's office was left in an untenable position regarding going to trial on the sex offense and agreed to the resolution we reached," Baum said.

In his guilty plea statement, Singh said he "sold alcohol to someone who was under the age of 21 at the time."

Singh was first charged in October 2025, following Winlock Police Chief Stephen Valentine's investigation into an alleged incident that had occurred at the local Handi Store that July.

According to a probable cause affidavit, the girl reported that she had been molested in the back room of the store.

The affidavit noted that "surveillance cameras show Mr. Singh going in the back with (the girl) out of camera view for about 51 seconds, and then show (the girl) leaving with alcohol."

During a preliminary appearance on Oct. 17, 2025, a judge set Singh's bail at $50,000 cash or bond. A cash bond was posted on Singh's behalf three days later.

For previous coverage on the case, visit https://tinyurl.com/yd4xs2zp.

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