Mangaluru: Three teenage girls from Mysuru were allegedly sexually abused for several months by five men, one of whom, suspected to be the main accused, has been arrested.
The arrested man has been identified as Aban (30) from Mangaluru, police sources said, adding, they were on the lookout for four of his accomplices from Bhatkal, Mangaluru and Bengaluru.
The three siblings, aged 16, 17 and 18, belonging to Udayagiri in Mysuru, were allegedly sexually abused at different places including Mandya, Bengaluru and Mangaluru, the police said.
The incident came to light following investigations by Mysuru-based social organisation Odanadi Seva Samasthe (OSS) after the girls' mother filed a complaint with the NGO.
Samasthe's investigations revealed that the girls were also allegedly forced into prostitution during the period.
Odanadi Seva Samasthe directors ML Parashuram and KV Stanley said the girls were from an economically backward family.
A man in their neighbourhood befriended the girls and took them to Bengaluru, Mangaluru and Mandya with the help of his friends, offering them goodies and protection.
As the girls went missing for months, the mother approached the NGO and later a case was registered at Udayagiri police station.
Police located the victims and brought them to Odanadi Seva Samasthe for counselling and rehabilitation and gathered information about the abusers from them, police sources said.
Police made one of the girls to call Aban from Mangaluru yesterday and he was tracked and arrested immediately.
He was then taken to Mysuru for interrogation, police said.
