Six months jail for man who blackmailed minor with explicit images in Dubai

Dubai: A Dubai court has sentenced an Asian man to six months in prison after he threatened to publish indecent images of a minor girl from his own nationality on Snapchat, Al Khaleej newspaper reported. 

The Criminal Court also ordered the confiscation of his phone, the deletion of all related data, and his deportation after serving his sentence.

According to case records, the victim, an underage Asian girl, filed a police report in April, stating she had been blackmailed with explicit photos and videos she had previously shared with the defendant during casual conversations on Snapchat. 

She told investigators she had ended communication with him, but he responded by threatening to release the material online and send it to her family unless she sent additional images.

A Dubai Police officer testified that a specialized cybercrime team tracked the suspect and arrested him. 

During the search, officers found a DVD containing explicit clips of the victim and other girls, along with similar material stored on his mobile phone.

Digital forensic analysis also revealed threatening messages he had sent to multiple girls, demanding private videos and photos under the threat of exposure.

The court found the evidence compelling and ruled that his actions constituted criminal intimidation, exploitation of a minor, and misuse of online communication platforms.