Dubai: A cleaner, who trespassed into a villa at 2am and molested a 14-year-old girl at knifepoint, was arrested when she spotted him near a park 25 days later.

The 14-year-old Indian schoolgirl was said to be walking around Abu Hail Park when she spotted the 37-year-old Sri Lankan cleaner, A.K., who had earlier muzzled her with a tape and molested her at knifepoint as she slept in January.

The girl immediately took a photo of the cleaner, according to records, and called the police who rushed to the location and apprehended A.K.

Records said the girl’s father had earlier reported to the police that the man had trespassed into their villa in Al Wuhaida area and tried to steal something but he fled after he ended up empty-handed.

A few days later, the girl told her mother what had purportedly happened to her before the father informed the police, said records.

Prosecutors accused the suspect of trespassing, theft and molestation.

The suspect showed up before the Dubai Court of First Instance but failed to enter his plea due to the language barrier.

Prosecutors said after the suspect trespassed into the villa through the kitchen, he went up to the girl’s room, muzzled her with a tape, removed her clothes and molested her at knifepoint. A.K. picked up the knife from the kitchen.

He was also accused of attempted robbery.

The 14-year-old claimed to prosecutors that she suddenly woke up to someone taping her mouth while she was sleeping.

“The suspect pointed a knife at my neck and forced me to take off my nightclothes. Then he molested me … when he finished, he left and kept the knife with him. I closed the door, cleaned up and removed the tape before I informed my dad about what had happened. Later I identified the suspect at the police line up after his arrest,” she testified.

The father confirmed his daughter’s statement and claimed to prosecutors: “My daughter claimed to me at first that a man had trespassed into our house and wanted to steal … she claimed that he threatened her with a knife that he picked up from the kitchen. I searched for him outside the house but I did not find any tracks … I reported the incident to the police immediately. After the police had examined the place and left, my wife informed me that our girl claimed to her that the suspect had molested her. I did not think that I had to report the police that my daughter had been molested because I thought the theft and trespassing report had been enough … and they had already examined the villa and finished their job.”

A policeman claimed to prosecutors that in February the girl called them and informed them that she had spotted A.K. near a park.

“Police rushed to the location and took him in for questioning during which he admitted that he had molested the girl at knifepoint. He also confessed that the earring that had been found in the bedroom was his,” he testified to prosecutors.

The presiding judge adjourned the case until a Tamil language translator is made available when the court reconvenes on August 7.