A 22-year-old man has been booked by the Taloja Police on charges of molestation and sexual assault of a minor girl. The accused developed a relationship with the minor through social media, said the police.
After winning confidence, from January 2023 to till date, the accused met with the victim and took obscene photos and videos of the victim. The victim was not aware of it. Later, he posted videos and photos on Instagram using the victim's and her sister’s accounts.
Later, he also posted on his Facebook account to defame the victim, stating that the complainant and father of the victim. “The accused invited the girl to a chawl in Devichapada in Panvel and took photos of when to blackmail and defame,” said the complainant. This act was repeated many times.
However, the girl stopped responding to the accused due to personal reasons, and the accused then posted photos on Instagram and Facebook. He also made voice and video calls to the victim several times.
Finally, the parent of the victim approached the police and lodged a complaint. The police registered a case under sections 354, 354 (D), and 500 for molestation and defamation, sections 8, 12, and 14 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) for sexual assault, and relevant sections of the IT Act.