Published Dec 20, 2023 | 2:24 PM ⚊ Updated Dec 20, 2023 | 2:25 PM
sexual assault (iStock)
A 22-year-old man was sentenced to 20 years in jail by a Kerala court, on Tuesday, 19 December, for abducting and sexually assaulting a schoolgirl after befriending her on a social media platform.
Perumbavoor Fast Track Special Court Judge Dinesh M Pillai convicted and sentenced the accused to 20 years for the offence of penetrative sexual assault under Section 3 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The court also sentenced the accused to three years for the offence of sexual assault under Section 7 of the POCSO Act, public prosecutor (PP) A Sindhu said.
It also imposed a fine of ₹35,000 on the accused who was taken away to Viyyur central jail after the sentence was pronounced, the prosecutor said.
The girl was sexually assaulted in July 2022 within the limits of Thadiyittaparambu police station by the accused who hailed from the Kollam district of the state.
The prosecutor said that the accused befriended the victim on a social media platform, got close to her and obtained her nude photographs through a messaging app.
Thereafter, he used the photographs to sexually assault the girl by threatening to circulate them on social media, the PP said.
Based on a complaint filed by the student’s parents, the police registered a case, conducted an investigation, and arrested the accused.
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