The All Women Police, Kotturpuram, have arrested four persons, including a couple, under the provisions of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act(POCSO) for allegedly committing penetrative sexual assault on four minor girls and using the videos for pornographic purposes. One victim is the daughter of one of the arrested.

The issue came to light four days ago when a 24-year-old advocate was about to buy a high-end mobile phone from an autorickshaw driver for ₹2,000. According to the police, a woman had asked the auto driver to sell the phone. While checking the device, the youth found pornographic content stored in it and alerted the police. In the meantime, the husband of the woman came to the spot and asked him for the phone on the pretext of retrieving the SIM card. However, the police reached the spot and caught hold of the 40-year-old man.

Further investigation revealed that several videos involving minor girls in pornography were stored on the mobile phone. They traced the girl who figured in more than two videos. She is the daughter of the man who came to retrieve the mobile phone from the advocate, and is in Class X. She was rescued and produced before the Child Welfare Committee. The probe disclosed that the man committed penetrative sexual assault on the girl repeatedly and her mother videographed the acts. They circulated the video for monetary gain, police sources said. The couple used the child for heinous purposes after telling her that they had to settle debts.

The child was sent for medical examination and later to a relative couple for care and protection after giving psychological counselling . The police further found three more minor girls who were forced to be involved in pornographic acts by the couple. The All Women Police, Kotturpuram, registered a case under the provisions of POCSO and arrested the parents of the girl and two other men who were also involved in the offence. Other three girls were given counselling. Further investigation is on.