Noida: 81-Year-Old Man Arrested For ‘Digital Rape’ Of Minor For Over 7 Years

The term "digital rape" means forced sex using fingers or toes. Such offences earlier did not fall under the ambit of rape. However, after the brutal Nirbhaya gang-rape case of 2012, the country's criminal law increased the ambit of such crimes perceived as 'rape'.

Noida: Uttar Pradesh police arrested an 81-year-old artist-cum-teacher in Noida on Sunday for allegedly raping a minor girl over a period of more than seven years. The accused identified as Maurice Ryder was arrested for the “digital rape” of a 17-year-old girl over the last seven years. The term “digital rape” means forced sex using fingers or toes. Such offences earlier did not fall under the ambit of rape.

“Accused Maurice Ryder has been arrested after an FIR was lodged against him under Indian Penal Code Sections 376 (rape), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), and 506 (criminal intimidation). He is accused of digital rape of a 17-year-old girl over the last seven years,” a police spokesperson said.

Ryder, an artist-cum-teacher, was arrested by officials of the local Sector 39 police station on Sunday.

“The girl lives here with her guardian, who has been a friend of the accused for around 20 years now. The guardian had lodged the complaint in the case,” SHO Sector 39 Rajeev Kumar told news agency PTI. The accused was presented in a local court after his arrest and has been sentenced to 14 days of judicial custody.

What does India’s law say about “digital rape”?

In India, the classification of a sexual offence as “digital rape” took place in the wake of the brutal Nirbhaya gang-rape case of 2012, which shocked the nation and led to reforms in the country’s criminal law to increase the ambit of crimes perceived as ‘rape’.

While its offenders are now booked under the much wider IPC section 376 (rape), the usage of the term “digital rape” and conviction in such cases still remains relatively low in the country.