Mere Storage of Child Sexual Abuse Material on Phone Attracts POCSO Act: Karnataka High Court

The Karnataka High Court held that merely storing child sexual abuse material on a mobile phone can attract offences under Section 15 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, and Section 67B of the Information Technology Act, 2000, even if the material was not transmitted or shared.

Justice M. Nagaprasanna dismissed a petition seeking to quash criminal proceedings against an accused whose phone allegedly contained sexually explicit images and videos of children.

The Court relied on the Supreme Court’s ruling in Just Rights for Children Alliance v. S. Harish and observed that the law criminalises even preparatory conduct such as storage or possession of such material.

[Sri Binoj P J v. State by Karnataka Commercial Street Police Station]