Man jailed for filming worker in shower in Dubai

Dubai - The phone, used by the defendant to film the victim, was seized and deposited at the public prosecution.

A 21-year-old man, who secretly filmed another man while he was taking a shower and then used the video clip to blackmail the victim into having sex with him, has been sentenced to six months in jail.
Public prosecution records show the Pakistani worker peeped as another worker was taking bath and made a video of it at their labour accommodation in Jebel Ali. He threatened to circulate the clip online unless he had sexual relationship with him.
The Court of First Instance found the defendant guilty of assault on another man's privacy as well as using social media and technology to blackmail and threaten the victim.
The court ordered that he be deported after serving his jail term.
The accused admitted to police and during public prosecution investigation that he secretly filmed the victim while the latter was taking a shower with his mobile phone. He then opened a Facebook account and sent a message to the victim with the clip and photos, while threatening him that he would circulate them unless he befriended him and had sex with him.
The complainant, a 21-year-old Pakistani, said he received a message on Facebook in May from a man. "The message contained a clip of me taking a shower in the bathroom inside my labour accommodation. The sender threatened he would pass it on unless I had a sexual relation with him."
He talked to him and they then met near a supermarket in the Dubai Investment Park. "He told me he filmed me as he wanted to have sex with me," the complainant told the prosecutor.
The phone, used by the defendant to film the victim, was seized and deposited at the public prosecution.
The worker may still appeal the court ruling within 15 days.
mary@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai