Dubai: A movie director challenged his six-month imprisonment in court on Wednesday as he denied trying to extort Dh86,000 from a Frenchwoman via social media by threatening to use her photos to make a porn movie.
In January, the Dubai Court of First Instance convicted the Lebanese cinema and television director of threatening the Frenchwoman on social media that he would produce a porn movie using her montaged photos if she didn’t pay him Dh86,000.
The Lebanese director had met the woman in 2014 and they became friends after he convinced her that he could help her find a job in Dubai.
During their friendship, he took several photos of the woman once they became close, said records.
The Frenchwoman said the director contacted her two years later on Facebook and WhatsApp on which he asked her to pay him Dh86,000 if she did not want to see herself in a porn movie.
Thereafter, she sent an email complaint to Dubai Police’s cybercrime section.
On Wednesday, the Lebanese defendant appeared before the Dubai Appeal Court where be denied any wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty.
He also submitted to presiding judge Saeed Salem Bin Sarm a written waiver that he had obtained from the Frenchwoman confirming that she had dropped her complaint against him.
The claimant had mentioned in her email to the police that the defendant had threatened to montage her photos (which he had taken on his phone when they were friends between 2014 and 2016), and produce them into a sex video if she didn’t pay him money.
Dubai Police’s cybercrime section instructed the Frenchwoman to communicate with the Lebanese man and to give the impression that she was ready to give him Dh86,000.
According to the primary judgement, the two phones and memory stick that the defendant had used to commit his crime were confiscated.
The Lebanese director is also fighting his deportation order.
An anti-cybercrime police lieutenant testified that the woman resides in France and she contacted them by email in which she complained that the defendant had threatened to montage her photos and produce them into a sex movie.
“She said the Lebanese told her he would upload the movie on Facebook and the internet. She said he had taken those photos when they were friends. She mentioned that the defendant’s professional experience as a TV and cinema director allows him to produce such a movie.
“The defendant also gathered a few photos of the woman and her family and wrote offensive comments on Facebook, according to her emailed complaint. She said he blackmailed her and asked for money. He also contacted her on WhatsApp. Upon confronting him with the emailed complaint, the defendant claimed that he did what he did to get back the money he had spent on her during their relationship,” the lieutenant said.
Presiding judge Bin Sarm said a ruling will be pronounced on May 23.
