Dubai court fines duo for sexual insults on Facebook

Dubai: A woman and a man have been fined Dh2,000 each for exchanging sexual insults on Facebook, a court ruled on Sunday.

The Dubai Misdemeanour Court convicted the 35-year-old American engineer and the 44-year-old British businesswoman of exchanging insults of a sexual nature on the Facebook online social network.

Presiding Judge Ebrahim Khalil Abu Shamma fined 35-year-old Q.T. Dh2,000. Meanwhile 44-year-old A.K. was fined in absentia. When Q.T. appeared before the court he pleaded guilty, claiming that he only insulted A.K. because she insulted him first.

Prosecution records showed that the American insulted the Briton by asking to have sex with her in a certain way.

The businesswoman insulted him back by asking him to have sex with his mother.

Retrial

Under the criminal procedures law, a defendant can request a retrial in a case where the ruling is handed out in absentia.

Court records revealed that the businesswoman complained to police that she received two e-mails from unknown addresses, in which the sender asked to have sex with her. She alleged that when she refused, the sender insulted her.

Records said police asked the woman [who was a complainant until then] to communicate with the sender and pretend to agree to the request, in order to expose his identity.

Police arrested Q.T. in a sting operation after the woman agreed to go clubbing with him in Dubai Marina.

Sunday's judgement remains subject to appeal within 15 days.