Mangaluru : Mangaluru police Sunday arrested a church priest under Posco Act on charges of aggravated sexual assault and repeatedly harassing a minor boy who visited the church for prayers.
Referring to an incident around 6.30pm on Aug 14, the complainant alleged the priest took him to the church’s reception room and sexually harassed him. City police commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy CH stated the accused was arrested from the house of a relative. The accused will be produced before a magistrate after interrogation and completion of legal formalities.
The priest allegedly lured the boy with chocolates, took him into a room near the church sacristy and harassed him by touching his private parts, according to an FIR registered on Thursday.
A case was registered under Sections 8 and 10 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and Section 75(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The boy later discussed the matter with his friends and claimed the priest had allegedly harassed them as well.