Silicon Valley tech mogul sentenced to jail for domestic violence

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A Silicon Valley tech mogul was sentenced to a year in jail because he violated probation after he was convicted for domestic violence.

The judge sentenced Gurbaksh Chahal, 31, to 12 months in county jail for violating his probation on a domestic violence conviction.

The wildly successful tech mogul was a mere 18-years-old when he sold his first startup Clickagent for $40 million. At 23, he sold his second startup Blue Lithium for $300 million.

RELATED: Bay Area tech entrepreneur faces new domestic violence allegations

The TV show "Extra" declared him "America's Most Eligible Bachelor." He appeared on Oprah Winfrey's show. And now, he's going to jail.

Chahal had been on probation and in rehab after pleading guilty to misdemeanors in the alleged beating of his girlfriend three years ago.

Then, just five months into his probation, prosecutors charged that he attacked another woman in his bedroom.

He came back to court again earlier this year, the first time surrounded by aggressive bodyguards who tried to shield him from reporters and photographers. In July, the judge found that Chahal violated his probation. Prosecutors wanted 18 months in jail, while Chahal's attorney asked for electronic monitoring.

"We're going to file a motion of appeal. We have extremely excellent constitutional issues," explained James Lasart, Chahal's attorney.

Lasart did win something: Chahal left the courtroom still a free man. The judge stayed the sentence while he appeals.

Domestic violence advocates were disappointed.

"We would have preferred to see Mr. Chahal have a wakeup call today, but we did see the court and the district attorney try to hold him accountable. Do we believe he's still a public safety threat? Yes, we do," said Beverly Upton, with the San Francisco Domestic Violence Consortium.