Imam gets one month in jail for possessing nude photos

Dubai: The Dubai Appeal Court on Sunday acquitted a mosque imam of seducing women to have sex with him using his BlackBerry but jailed him for possessing nude photos.

Appeal Court's Presiding Judge Eisa Al Sharif yesterday overturned the primary judgment, one year in jail, and acquitted the 35-year-old Egyptian imam of seducing women and urging girls to have sex with him by abusing one of the telecommunication services.

"The court has, however, jailed the accused, S.M., for one month followed by deportation for possessing pornographic materials. The nude photos will be confiscated," said Presiding Judge Al Sharif in courtroom 20.

In December, the Court of First Instance convicted S.M. of seducing women and urging girls to have sex with him by abusing BlackBerry Messenger [BBM].

Prosecutors accused S.M. of persuading an unidentified number of women to have sex with him after communicating with them via BBM and forwarding indecent photos to them.

"I am not guilty. I did not do any of those allegations. It never happened," argued S.M. when he defended himself in court.

He was additionally charged with possessing indecent photos with the intention to show them to others.

A first lieutenant testified: "We were alerted that S.M. added women on his BBM then lured them to sleep with him … A policeman posed as a girl and coordinated with the defendant in order to have him arrested in a sting operation."

"He sent the policeman [who posed as a girl] an indecent photo of himself. Upon arresting him, we confiscated a sex toy in his possession," the first lieutenant claimed to prosecutors.

Yesterday's judgment remains subject to appeal before the Cassation Court within 30 days.