Dubai: A man has been jailed for three years for having sex with a saleswoman, with whom he became friends over the Internet, against her will.

Although the 34-year-old Iranian man, M.A., claimed that he had consensual sex with the Filipina woman, the Dubai Court of First Instance found him guilty of having sex with her against her will.

M.A. was said to have invited the 42-year-old saleswoman to dinner before he forced her into a flat and raped her in October 2013 at Dubai International City.

Records said the saleswoman met the defendant in a chat room on www.tagged.com before he had sex with her against her will during their second dinner together.

Presiding judge Maher Salama Al Mahdi said the accused will be deported following the completion of his punishment.

“I invited her over dinner, but I did not rape her. She is a liar. I did not force her to have sex with me ... she escorted me willingly and we had consensual intercourse,” he argued in court.

Prosecutors said the defendant told the saleswoman that he wanted to meet his cousin at his flat at the International City.

Then he opened the door with his own key and forced her into the bedroom. He pushed her down to the bed and had sex with her.

The Filipina testified that the defendant beat her and threatened her until she surrendered herself to him.

“We became friends through one of the chat rooms. He claimed that he is Emirati and gave me a different name. He claimed that he worked as a policeman. The first time we went out for dinner was in September.

“On October 6, he invited me for dinner. He picked me up around 7pm ... While driving he spoke Arabic on his phone. He claimed that he had to pass by his cousin to see him. When we reached the building, I refused to go up with him. He claimed that he had already ordered dinner for delivery ... and also alleged that his cousin’s girlfriend is a Filipina. I realised that the flat did not belong to his cousin. He said sorry after raping me,” the Filipina said.

A Filipina roommate testified that she told her friend to report the matter to the police.

A policeman who questioned the defendant said the latter confessed that he had sex with the saleswoman.

Sunday’s ruling remains subject to appeal within 15 days.