Storage of child pornography constitutes POCSO act offence: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court overturned a Madras High Court ruling stating that storing child pornographic material without intent to transmit is still an offense under the POCSO Act. They emphasized the need to delete or report such material to avoid the intention to transmit. The judgment also included guidelines for enforcing the act and suggested amending the term ‘child pornography’. Concerns were raised by NGOs about the impact on child welfare. The case involved a person accused of downloading child pornographic material for private viewing. The decision was criticized for potentially encouraging child pornography and harming child welfare.