Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Jul 31: The Additional District and Sessions Court (FTSC-2) in Mangaluru has sentenced a 20-year-old youth to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment after convicting him in a POCSO case involving the repeated sexual assault of a minor girl, along with criminal intimidation and offences under the Information Technology Act.
The convict has been identified as Sonu Maclean Noronha (20), son of Gilbert Noronha, a resident of Devi Nagar, Kunjathbail, Mangaluru.
According to the prosecution, the accused developed a relationship with the minor girl in February 2024 and lured her into a relationship. He repeatedly sexually assaulted her at a rented house near Chalukya Bar in Shaktinagar in September 2024 and later at another house near KEB, Kembaru in Alape village between November 2024 and June 2025.
During the investigation, it was found that the accused had made a video call to the minor while she was bathing, captured screenshots of her in a nude state and stored the images on his mobile phone. He allegedly threatened to circulate the photographs if she refused to continue the physical relationship. He also threatened to kill the victim, her mother and her sister.
The case was registered at Kankanady Town police station. The investigation was conducted by then police inspector T D Nagaraj, who collected substantial evidence and filed the chargesheet before the court.
Special Public Prosecutor Sahana Devi represented the prosecution.
After examining the evidence, the court convicted the accused under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Information Technology Act.
The court sentenced Sonu Noronha to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 50,000 under Section 6 of the POCSO Act read with Section 64(2)(m) of the BNS. He was also awarded one year of imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5,000 each under Section 77 of the BNS, Section 15 of the POCSO Act and Section 66(E) of the Information Technology Act. The sentences will be served as per the court's directions.