A Class 11 student from Coimbatore, who left her home to meet her “Facebook friend”, was sexually assaulted by the latter and a taxi driver who took her to him.

The 17-year-old girl who went missing on December 30 was traced to Velankanni on Wednesday and brought back to Coimbatore. The driver and the girl’s “friend” were arrested on Thursday.

The cops said that the girl formed a friendship with one V Shanmugam (39), who was working as a taxi driver. Shanmugam was a native of Tiruppur and was staying with his family at Saravanampatti. He used to speak with the girl over the phone and befriended her.

Meantime, she also came in touch with a 29-year-old man from Lalpuram in Cuddalore via Facebook, who has been working in a motorcycle manufacturing unit near Chennai.

Cops said that Shanmugam took the girl to Ooty on the pretext of taking her to Tiruchy to meet her Facebook friend and sexually assaulted her there for three days. Later, the girl arrived at Tiruchy and was assaulted by her Facebook friend there for three days.

The Facebook friend later abandoned her but she somehow managed to reach Velankanni and contacted her family. The case which was initially registered as ‘missing person’ at Selvapuram station was altered and both accused were arrested under the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) and remanded to judicial custody.