Dubai court: Man accused of threat to shame sisters

Dubai: A man has been accused of threatening to dishonour two sisters by publishing indecent photos of them on the internet and making them go viral on social media networks.

The 21-year-old Emirati man, S.A., was said to have posed as a female user on different social media platforms [Keek, WhatsApp and Instagram] and chatted with his countrywomen sisters [aged 35 and 29] before he threatened to dishonour them by circulating their indecent photos.

He also cursed them and sent them offensive messages via social media networks.

The defendant entered a not guilty plea and firmly refuted his charges before the Dubai Court of First Instance on Sunday.

When asked whether the mobile number from which the offensive and threat messages were sent belonged to him, S.A. contended: “No, the number is not mine.”

According to the charge sheet, prosecutors accused the suspect of threatening to shame the sisters by publishing their indecent photos and also sending them photos of a pornographic nature.

The defendant was also accused of cursing and offending the sisters by alleging that they slept with men and also requesting to have sex with them, according to prosecution records.

The 35-year-old sister testified to prosecutors that the incident happened when a woman [who turned out to be the suspect who had posed as a woman] added her with her younger sister on Keek in 2013.

“My younger sister had logged into my account. That woman [who later turned out to be the suspect] chatted with my sister and asked her if she knew me… and called me bad names. The other party [defendant] claimed that I cheated on my husband. The suspect, who supposedly was a woman, also asked my sister to go out with her pretending to be a lesbian. That person threatened to have our naked photos circulated over the social media networks if we refused to go out with her and offer sexual services. That suspected woman also sent indecent photos of sex toys,” claimed the older sister.

Records said the defendant communicated with the sisters on different social media platforms.

The police identified the suspect after the sisters cooperated with them.

According to records, the defendant is a distant relative of the sisters.

A police lieutenant testified to prosecutors that they discovered that the suspect had been using his uncle’s mobile number.

“S.A. turned out to be a government employee and he was on a mission in Bahrain at the time when the alleged incident happened. He was detained at the airport once he returned… during questioning, he denied his accusations,” claimed the lieutenant.

The trial continues.