Mangaluru: Court sentences youth to 20 years in jail for repeated sexual assault of minor

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Jul 31, 2026: The Additional District and Sessions Court (FTSC-2) in Mangaluru has sentenced a 20-year-old man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine after convicting him of repeatedly sexually assaulting a minor girl and issuing death threats.

The convicted individual has been identified as Sonu Macleen Noronha (20), a resident of Devinagara, Kunjathbail, Mangaluru.

Case Background:
According to the prosecution, the accused befriended the minor girl in February 2024 and lured her into a relationship. He subsequently sexually assaulted her repeatedly—first at a rented house near Chalukya Bar in Shaktinagar in September 2024, and later at another house near the KEB in Kembaru, Alape village, between November 2024 and June 2025.

During the investigation, it was revealed that the accused initiated a video call while the victim was bathing, captured screenshots, and stored her private photos on his phone. He then threatened to leak the explicit images online and threatened to murder the girl, her mother, and her elder sister if she refused to comply with his demands for physical contact.

Investigation and Verdict:
A case was registered at the Kankanady Town Police Station. The then-Police Inspector T.D. Nagaraj conducted a detailed investigation, gathered substantial evidence, and filed a charge sheet in court. Special Public Prosecutor Sahana Devi represented the prosecution.

After reviewing the evidence, the court found the accused guilty under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and the Information Technology (IT) Act.

The court sentenced Sonu Noronha to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of ₹50,000 under Section 64(2)(m) of the BNS. Additionally, he was handed an extra one-year prison term and a fine of ₹5,000 each under Section 77 of the BNS, Section 15 of the POCSO Act, and Section 66(E) of the IT Act.