Soldier jailed for harassing schoolboy

DUBAI: A soldier who posed as a girl online to befriend a schoolboy and harassed the latter by threatening to publicise his photos and videos, has been jailed.

The Arab soldier, 23, used indecent content that the Emirati schoolboy, 16, sent him in the blackmail bid. He intimidated him into giving in to his advances, the Criminal Court learnt on Jul.18. He will spend two months behind bars.

The schoolboy narrated that four years ago he received a friend request from a girl via Blackberry messenger. Their friendship developed and she got to know more about his family and residence.

The supposed girl later threatened to disclose chat records to the schoolboy’s relatives unless the schoolboy sent her photos showing him in different positions. He feared her and sent her his photos and videos.

Shortly, the soldier sent him a friend request and told him he was aware of the problem between him and the girl and that he would help obtain her mobile phone for him for a Dhs7, 000 reward.

Thereafter the soldier would contact him and they would discuss how to get the girl’s mobile phone. The soldier later claimed he got the mobile, deleted the photos and videos he sent her and smashed the mobile.

The schoolboy started trusting the soldier and would meet him in Dubai shopping centres for friendly discussions.

At the end of 2016, the soldier Whatsapped the schoolboy that he still had the photos and videos.

He summoned the schoolboy for a meeting at a mall in Mirdif area. He called the schoolboy inside his car. He drove around the area while groping the schoolboy as the latter struggled to stop him.

Thereafter, he drove him back to the mall. On another occasion, the schoolboy refused to meet him. He again threatened to publicise the indecent content. Al Qusais Police Station intervened on Apr.25.