In a potentially explosive development, an Indian snowshoe racer visiting Saranac Lake for an international competition was arrested on Wednesday and charged with first degree sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child.

The arrest of Tanveer Hussain, age 24, was reported by the Adirondack Daily Enterprise Wednesday evening.

Click Listen above to hear Brian Mann speaking about this story with Chris Knight.

Hussain was allowed a visa to enter the U.S. for the competition following intense lobbying from local officials and resdents in the Adirondacks, as well as by U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles Schumer.

He and another Muslim athlete from Kashmir, India, were initially denied visas by federal officials.

Serious charges, innocent until proved guilty

According to the Enterprise, Hussain was arrested on Wednesday and accused of inappropriate sexual behavior with an underage girl, contact which allegedly took place on Monday in the village of Saranac Lake.

Sgt. Casey Reardon told the newspaper that he was "confident in our investigation and the results of it. There were other witnesses. Social media was involved. There’s evidence that supports the charges.”

All persons accused of crimes are assumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law. Hussain's attorney, Brian Barrett, told Knight that these are "merely allegations alone. Not only is he innocent, he is presumed innocent by law. That’s how he should be seen in the community and by anyone paying attention in this case.”

UPDATE: In a statement released by the Saranac Lake Village Police, officials accused Hussain of engaging in a "passionate kiss" with a 12-year-old girl. "He further was accused of touching her in an intimate area over her clothing," police reported, adding, "There was no accusation of force. The charges result of the age differences of the individuals. There were no other allegations made against Hussain."

National and international politics collide with a local incident

These allegations come during a time when U.S. visas and alleged crimes by non-American citizens have become a fiercely debated topic on the national scene.

Related stories: Saranac Lake gives Indian snowshoers a warm welcome The Indian snowshoe team became a cause for local residents, who campaigned to bring them to the Adirondacks, assisting with fundraising and other logistics.

Earlier this week, Knight reported for NCPR that Hussain was welcomed warmly by Saranac Lake. “It’s amazing to be here among the people of Saranac (Lake),” said Abid Khan, also from the Kashmir region of India.

“Everyone is welcoming us with open heart, hugging us, offering us something. It is amazing.”

Hussain's story even drew international attention from the BBC network. He finished in 114th place in Saturday's 8-kilometer championship race. He and Khan had planned to leave Saranac Lake later this week, when they were scheduled to fly to New York City and then home to India.