Man lures woman online into prostitution in UAE, threatens her

A youth has been sentenced by the Ras Al Khaimah Criminal Court of Appeal to three years in prison on charges of luring a woman into prostitution via Snapchat and threatening to defame her on social media.
The RAK Criminal Court had earlier found the suspect - a young GCC national - guilty of posing as a sexologist on Snapchat, tricking the woman into prostitution with others, and ordered him to serve 19 months in prison and pay a fine of Dh150,000
As per court records, the accused accessed the victim's Snapchat account and copied some of her personal images without her consent. He then threatened to dishonour the woman unless she sent him a personal video.
As per the sheet of indictment, the suspect was also accused of possessing pornographic videos in violation of law.
The man later asked the complainant to send him video clips of her while having sex with others, promising to pay her money for the same.
The woman refused and lodged a complaint with the Ras Al Khaimah police.
The man was staying in another emirate, where he was later arrested.
The mobile phones he used in his crimes were confiscated, while the seizures were handed over to the RAK public prosecution which referred him to the RAK Criminal Court.
Denying the charges, the defence lawyer said the young woman was allegedly the one who asked his client to accept her friendship request. She willingly sent him her personal video as well.
He added that the complainant did not substantiate any of her "baseless claims", noting that his client (defendant) asked her to stop sending him her images or else he would lodge a police complaint against her.
The RAK Criminal Court turned down the defence lawyer's plea, and ordered the man to serve one year for dishonouring the victim, and six months and a fine of Dh150,000 for luring her into prostitution via social media.
The defendant was also sentenced to one month in prison for accessing the victim's Snapchat account and copying her images without her consent.

ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com

• Ras Al Khaimah