Visitor jailed for promoting sex on social media
Four men who attacked her in her hotel room, robbed her at knifepoint also jailed
Dubai: A visiting prostitute has been sentenced to one year in jail for promoting her services on social media while four men, who assaulted and robbed her, were handed similar jail terms.
The 37-year-old Russian woman, J.L., visited Dubai repeatedly to work in prostitution during two-month visit visa stays, during which she claimed to have earned more than Dh37,000 each time.
In October, she posted indecent images on the internet and social media to promote her activities before a client phoned and arranged to meet her in her hotel.
The ‘client’ turned out to be four men, all Armenians, who showed up at her hotel room in Al Barsha. They attacked her brutally and stole her Dh31,000 worth of valuables and cash at knifepoint.
The Dubai Court of First Instance found J.L. guilty of working in prostitution and using the internet and social media services to encourage and promote prostitution.
Presiding judge Fahd Al Shamsi also convicted the Armenian quartet, A.H., A.G., U.A. and T.T. of assaulting J.L., threatening her with a knife and stealing her Dh5,000 in cash and Dh26,000 worth of valuables and electronic devices.
The Russian pleaded guilty in court.
“I worked in prostitution. I posted images on the internet and placed my contact number. One man called and arranged to come to my hotel … but four men ended up at the hotel,” J.L. told the court.
The Armenian defendants pleaded not guilty.
According to Wednesday’s ruling, the five will be deported following the completion of their jail terms.
When asked by presiding judge Al Shamsi about CCTV footage showing them in the hotel lobby, A.H., A.G. and U.A., confessed that they went to the hotel but did not steal. “We did go to the hotel. I saw the woman’s advertisement on the internet. I called her and arranged to go to her room. We went there to have sex with her but we did not beat her or steal her belongings as she claimed,” A.H. said in court.
According to the charge sheet, prosecutors said the Armenians stole the Russian woman’s pearl necklace and pearl bracelet, gold chain, two rings, a pair of earrings, two iPhones, and two smart tablets.
J.L. told prosecutors that A.H. arranged with her over the phone to meet her at her hotel room to have sex after she promoted her prostitution services on a special portal.
“I called myself Natalie from Russia to lure sex clients. I posted my images and phone number for clients who were interested in paying Dh1,500 per hour. I visited Dubai twice before the incident. I earned $10,000 [(Dh36,730) each visit. I agreed to have sex with A.H. for Dh1,500. When he knocked on the door, I looked through the secret eye, and saw one man. They turned out to be more. They assaulted me and robbed me at knifepoint,” she testified.
The defendants were identified from surveillance cameras.
A policeman, who questioned A.H., said the latter admitted that he knew J.L. from before as she had earlier robbed him in Moscow where he had sex with her.
Wednesday’s ruling remains subject to appeal within 15 days.
