Is storing child porn on your phone a crime? Karnataka HC issues major warning
4 min readNew DelhiMar 9, 2026 10:12 AM IST Karnataka High Court news: The Karnataka High Court recently refused to quash criminal proceedings against a man accused of storing child pornographic material on his mobile phone, observing that mere storage of such content can attract offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Information Technology (IT) Act even if the material was not transmitted. Justice M Nagaprasanna dismissed the petition filed by the accused, who had sought quashing of the proceedings pending before a Bengaluru special court. “Merely because the petitioner has not transmitted anything from his phone would not mean that he would not be liable for the ingredients of the said offence,” the high court’s order dated January 12 read. High court’s observations The submission of the learned counsel for the petitioner is that merely keeping videos and pictures of child pornography would not be an offence under the aforesaid sections. The submission is unacceptable and is in violation of the law laid down by the apex court. …


