Abu Dhabi: Internet users may inevitably end up being sentenced to jail for at least six months or pay a fine between Dh150,000 and Dh1 million if they fail to practise enough caution while surfing the web.

The Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD) sternly warned residents against visiting websites that feature inappropriate content such as child pornography, reiterating that both users as well as these websites are constantly closely monitored by local authorities to ensure that UAE’s security is never undermined.

The ADJD has also warned that UAE authorities continue to compile names of users who visit these websites and document the date and time of the visits.

Residents who contribute to these child pornographic websites will not be shown any tolerance by the UAE’s authorities, ADJD warned.

Meanwhile, given the recent and rapid technological advances, legal authorities have now been able to capture those who visit prohibited websites using a distinctive software that is designed to conceal their computers’ IP numbers.

A local daily Arabic newspaper has reported that six people accessed child pornographic websites and sought to distribute the material on the web; however, authorities were able to get hold of them and investigations are currently under way.

According to Article No 18 pertaining to the Information Technology Law issued in 2012, users shall be punished by imprisonment for a period of at least six months and a fine that is at least Dh150,000 but does not exceed Dh1 million for whoever has deliberately acquired pornographic material involving juveniles through the use of electronic information.

Recently, a Gulf News report said that a man has been convicted of possessing five CDs that contained child pornography.

The Abu Dhabi Court of Misdemeanours sentenced the national from a Gulf country to six months in prison and fined him Dh150,000.

The court said the man did not distribute the inappropriate content but instead used it for his personal satisfaction.

When the suspect’s home was investigated, five CDs encompassing child pornography were located in addition to some taken by him via his mobile phone and then transferred to his laptop.

Maisoon Mubarak is a trainee at Gulf News