Suspected paedophile arrested in Sharjah

Sharjah: Police yesterday arrested a 32-year-old paedophile for allegedly molesting children as young as six in a residential neighbourhood.

The Asian suspect was arrested in the area of Al Butaina after it was reported to police that children living in the neighbourhood had been molested by a grocery shopkeeper who worked there.

"Anjad traffic patrols were dispatched to the area and officers saw two Arab women yelling at the grocery shopkeeper, while a large crowd gathered around to watch. When the crowd saw the police, several other parents came forward and also lodged complaints that their children had also been molested," said an official at Sharjah Police, although he declined to say how many other children had been involved.

According to Sharjah Police, the six-year-old had complained several times to his mother before about a man acting strangely around him, "but she only realised what was going on when he arrived home one day crying."

Police called in

The victim's mother went to a neighbour's house, and the neighbour confirmed that her nine-year-old son had also complained about the grocery shopkeeper, but had naively thought nothing of it.

The two victims told their parents that the shopkeeper had done "bad things" to them and to other boys and girls who wanted to buy soft drinks, snacks and chocolate.

After molesting them, the suspect gave them their snacks for free.

The two mothers then went downstairs to confront the suspects in hysterics, and it was only then that police were called in. The suspect was arrested and is detained at Al Heera Police Station.

"Parents should always take notice of any complaints their children may have.

"Without the explanation of the six-year-old, nobody would have known that a man working in the area, who parents trusted their children to be in safe hands, would be capable of carrying out such a crime," said a police official.