20-year-old student charged with sodomy bid in UAE

Dubai - The incident took place on February 22. It was reported at Al Rashidiya police station.

A 20-year-old student has been charged with two counts of sexual assault and a sodomy bid.
The Court of First Instance was told the Arab man lured two male victims on two separate occasions to a sandy yard in Al Warqa. There, he sexually assaulted the two and tried to rape one of them but could not as the victim resisted him and managed to escape on his bike.
The incident took place on February 22. It was reported at Al Rashidiya police station.
The first victim said that the other victim is his friend while he did not know the defendant prior to the case. "I live next to the other victim's villa. The defendant used to visit a nearby park in our area."
He added that on February 22, he was with his friend in that park. "It was around 7pm. My friend ran away when he spotted the accused. I was told by the latter to walk with him when I responded to his conversation. He took me outside the park to a sandy location. While walking, he told me he would be my new friend, give me amounts of money, defend me and bring me girls." However, the accused suddenly threatened him with a stick and made him perform a sex act on him, the victim told the investigator.
He then took him to a grocery shop and bought him a bottle of water.
When joining his friend back near their houses, the victim was told to call the police.
The other victim gave the investigator a similar account of how the accused tried to rape him. "I don't know him but I would spot him in that park." He was also made to perform a sex act on the defendant in an area away from sight. "My friend told me that the defendant filmed him," he recounted, adding that he did not report the incident earlier because he felt worried about his father's sentiments. "We called the police to put an end to what the defendant was doing."
WhatsApp conversations between the accused and his friends (between 8.15pm and 8.29pm) were found on his mobile phone. Friends were advising him not to go to the park as "the youngsters came back there with their fathers and the police".
The trial has been adjourned to September 22.
mary@khaleejtimes.com 

• Dubai