The man accessed the victim's Snapchat account and copied her images without her consent.

A GCC national was sentenced to 19 months in jail by the Ras Al Khaimah Criminal Court for luring and threatening to defame a woman. He was also ordered to pay a fine of Dh150,000. The man was also accused of possessing pornographic videos.



Court records show that the case unfolded when the convict created a Snapchat account posing as a young woman and tried to lure the complainant -- also a GCC national -- into prostitution.



The man accessed the victim's Snapchat account and copied her images without her consent. He then threatened to dishonour her unless she sent him videos. He asked the complainant to send him intimate video clips, promising to pay her money. The woman refused and lodged a complaint with the Ras Al Khaimah Police against him.



The man, who was staying in another emirate, was arrested and his mobile phones were seized.



Denying the charges, the defence lawyer said the woman had asked his client to accept her friend request. She had also sent him a video. He added that the complainant did not prove any of her "baseless claims", noting that his client (convict) had asked her to stop sending him her images. Otherwise, he would lodge a police complaint against her.



The RAK Criminal Court turned down the defence lawyer's pleading, and ordered the young man to serve one year and six months for dishonouring the victim, and a fine of Dh150,000 for luring her into prostitution via social media.



The defendant was also sentenced to one month in prison for accessing the victim's Snapchat account and copying her images without her consent.



ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com