Dubai: A man has been sentenced to three months in jail for sexually molesting his female housemates by fixing a secret camera and taking snaps of them naked in the shower.

The Dubai Court of First Instance convicted the 40-year-old Filipino defendant, M.V., of breaching their privacy and modesty and molesting them by taking photos of them naked in the shower.

When the defendant appeared in court, he pleaded guilty and said: “I fixed the secret camera in the ceiling above the shower to observe how much water my housemates consumed while taking a shower.”

According to Wednesday’s judgement, the accused will be deported following the completion of his punishment.

According to the accusation sheet, the defendant fixed the camera in the celling so he could take secret video footage of 33-year-old C.L. and 32-year-old M.P. while they were showering.

“The court will confiscate the device and the USB that were used to store the footage,” said Presiding Judge Maher Salama Al Mahdi.

C.L. testified that the incident happened after she spotted the accused entering their washroom although he and his family use a separate washroom.

“When I looked up at the ceiling I noticed that there was a tiny button-like lens attached to a USB. I removed it and switched it off. I finished my shower and went to my laptop and plugged the USB into it. The device contained two recordings. One of them was of me having a shower… the other recording showed M.P. also. The beginning of the footage showed the suspect’s face. I called my friend [M.P.] and told her what I had discovered…,” C.L. claimed to prosecutors.

M.P. confirmed her countrywoman’s statement.

Records said when the women confronted the defendant, he immediately apologised and then they asked him to leave the residence.

“I gathered my belongings and left the apartment because I didn’t want to stay there any more. I reported the matter to the police after two days,” claimed C.L.

M.P. said the defendant cried when they discovered what he had done.

The primary judgement remains subject to appeal within 15 days.