PhD scholar gets life term for sexual abuse of minors in TN

CHENNAI: A special court in Thanjavur has sentenced a PhD scholar, arrested by the CBI last year for sexual abuse of minors, to life imprisonment besides slapping a fine of Rs 6.54 lakh.

The special court for exclusive trial of cases under the Pocso Act, Thanjavur, has sentenced Victor James Raja to life imprisonment, pertaining to the case of sexual assault of minors and sharing/exchange of online Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).

According to a CBI press release, the trial court has also awarded monetary relief of Rs 4 lakh to each victim. Last year, the court had earlier ordered for interim relief of Rs 2 lakh each to the victims on August 24.

A number of CSAMs, including images and videos, were found from Interpol’s Child Sexual Exploitation

(ICSE) database. Technical and forensic analysis led to Victor’s identity.

A case was registered on March 7, 2023, under Pocso, and he was arrested on March 16.

It was alleged that Victor had been sexually exploiting children (boys and girls), aged between 5-18 years, for the past few years. The acts of exploitation included penetrative sexual assaults, digitally recording the sexual abuse, criminal intimidation minors, forcing and instigating minors to perform sexual activities with other minors and also with the accused. He had also used them for pornographic purposes.

The trial was held in a timebound manner with the assistance of Special PP Pocso Court in Thanjavur. A total of 34 witnesses were examined/cross-examined and many documents and articles were exhibited, a CBI release said.

It was alleged that Victor had been sexually exploiting children (boys and girls), aged between 5-18 years, for the past few years