Chennai: The Special Court for Exclusive Trial of Cases under POCSO Act, Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu has sentenced one, Victor James Raja to life imprisonment in a case investigated by the CBI pertaining to sexual assault of minor children and sharing/exchange of online Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).
The Court also imposed a fine of Rs. 6.54 lakh on Victor, while awarding monetary relief of Rs. four lakhs to each victim.
Pertinently, the Court had earlier ordered for interim relief of Rs. 2 lakhs each to the child victims on August 24, 2023.
A CSAMs including images and videos were found from Interpol’s Child Sexual Exploitation (ICSE) database. Technical and forensic analysis led to the identity of the accused Victor James Raja, a Ph.D. scholar.
After registering a case on March seven, 2023 against him under relevant provisions of POCSO Act, 2012 and Information Technology Act, 2000, the accused was arrested nine days later.
It was alleged that Victor James Raja was subjecting male and female child victims, aged between
5 and 18 years to sexual exploitation for the last couple of years. The acts of sexual exploitation included penetrative sexual assaults, digitally recording the sexual abuse, criminal intimidation of minor victims, forcing and instigating minor victim(s) to perform sexual activities with other minor victims and also with the accused.
The accused was also using victim children for pornographic purposes, a CBI release here said.
CBI investigations revealed that accused was sexually assaulting several victim children, aged between 5-18 years continuously for couple of years. On conclusion of the investigation, CBI filed
a chargesheet against the accused on May 13, 2023 before the Special Court for Exclusive Trial
of Cases under POCSO Act, Thanjavur for commission of offences including sexual assault, penetrative sexual assault, aggravated penetrative sexual assault, using child for pornographic purposes and abetment under POSCO Act; rape of women under 12 years of age and criminal
intimidation under IPC and publishing or transmitting of material depicting children in sexually
explicit act, etc., in electronic form under the Information Technology Act.
The trial was conducted in a time-bound manner with the assistance of Special PP, POCSO Court, Thanjavur and a total of 34 witnesses were examined/cross examined and various documents and articles were exhibited.
After completion of trial, the court awarded life term to the accused.
