CHENNAI: A 19-year-old youth was arrested under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for allegedly sexually harassing a four-year-old girl in Vyasarpadi, Chennai.

The incident occurred on May 14 when the accused entered the child’s home while her mother was briefly away.

According to the police, the mother of the child was living with her mother for the past five months after her husband abandoned the family for another woman. On the day of the incident, the woman left her daughter alone at home to fetch water from a nearby place.

Taking advantage of the situation, the youth, a resident of Vyasarpadi’s Gandhipuram area, entered the house and sexually harassed the girl child.

Upon returning home, the child’s mother raised an alarm, prompting the accused to flee. She then immediately took her daughter to a nearby hospital for examination, while neighbours alerted the Vyasarpadi police. Authorities, along with a child protection officer, were notified, and an investigation was launched.

The youth was later arrested by the Sembium All Women Police, based on a complaint from the girl's mother.