Dubai: Two men have been jailed for three years each for posing as male prostitutes over a social media network, WhosHere, and offered their dancing and sexual services for money.

The Emirati defendants, 22-year-old A.S. and 30-year-old A.H., were said to have earned their living through promoting themselves as prostitutes on WhosHere and rendered paid sexual services.

“The defendants will be placed under police surveillance for three years,” said presiding judge Mohammad Jamal in courtroom three on Sunday.

An Emirati police lieutenant said A.S. and A.H. were detained in a sting operation in a five star hotel room, where A.S. was caught naked when he was preparing himself to have sex with a police informant.

A.H. was caught with a towel wrapped around his waist when he too was readying himself to dance in September.

Prosecution records said the defendants had been involved in similar cases in 2007.

Court records said A.S. nicknamed himself Mayoud Al Barari on Whoshere and profiled himself as a male prostitute and promoted sexual services.

Prosecutors charged him with breaching public modesty by publishing his photos wearing women’s undergarment and in full make up.

He was also charged with inciting others to commit a sin by offering to dance for men.

The two accused were sentenced in absentia.

The lieutenant testified that A.S. portrayed himself as a prostitute over the social media network. “A police informant cooperated with Dubai Police to arrest the defendant in a sting operation. A.S. agreed to offer his sexual services to the informant for Dh1,500 in a hotel at Al Mina Road. A stakeout team monitored the hotel entrance and lobby. Police obtained prosecutors’ permission to arrest the defendant and his accomplice. A.S. headed to the room and shortly after that A.H. came in. We waited for the signal before the stakeout team raided the hotel room. A.S. was busted completely naked meanwhile A.H. was half naked preparing himself to dance,” the lieutenant claimed to prosecutors.

Records said the money, which the informant paid for the purpose of the sting operation, was seized in the defendants’ possession.

The lieutenant cited A.H. admitting that he went for dancing purposes meanwhile A.S. confirmed that A.H. accompanied him to have sex with the supposed client.