Dakshina Kannada, A man who sexually exploited a girl for years by luring her with narcotics, was arrested on Monday in Surathkal in the district.

The accused has been identified as Mohammad Shareef (47), a resident of Katippala near Surathkal.

According to the police, after the victim's mother came to know about the exploitation, she lodged a complaint at the Surathkal police station. She alleged that Mohammad had been supplying her daughter drugs and sexually exploiting her for the last four years.

On December 22, he had made a phone call to the victim and asked her to come near Big Bazar, close to Lalbagh area from where he took her to an undisclosed location and sexually exploited her again.

Based on the complaint, the cops then arrested Mohammad.

Sources close to the victim's family revealed that the police had been informed earlier also but no action was initiated against the accused person then.

They said that the accused had tried to lure the victim into drug peddling and they have sought the help of the police and activists to bring her out of the nexus.