TIRUNELVELI: The Tirunelveli rural police have booked a police head constable under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act for allegedly sexually assaulting a 15-year-old Class VIII student near Ambai in Tirunelveli district.

The accused allegedly went into hiding after learning that a police team was searching to arrest him.

According to the police, the accused, Anthony Jennifer, 34, attached to A Company of the 9th Battalion at Manimutharu, is currently serving as a head constable in Kanyakumari. He is a native of South Agasthiyarpuram near Ambai.

Recently, Anthony Jennifer had come to his native place on leave. According to the complaint, the 15-year-old from Sivanthipuram near Vikramasingapuram had gone to a shop to buy sweets when the head constable allegedly noticed him.

He took the boy to a secluded place and sexually assaulted him, according to the complaint lodged by the boy’s parents.

The boy, who was reportedly in pain following the alleged assault, informed his parents about the incident. They subsequently lodged a complaint with the Ambai All-Women Police Station.

Based on the complaint, the police conducted an inquiry and examined CCTV footage from the area around the shop.

The footage showed Anthony Jennifer taking the boy away. The police subsequently registered a case against him under the Pocso Act.

Jennifer was selected for the Tamil Nadu Police Youth Brigade around 2013 and joined the Tamil Nadu Police in 2016.