An imam who was invited to a family home to help heal a housewife by reading Quran to her molested the woman when her husband went to the toilet.

The Egyptian, 53, was found guilty of a sexual assault charge and will spend three months in jail after being convicted by Dubai Criminal Court.

On July 9 last year the imam was asked by a man and his wife to come to their house in Bur Dubai to read healing verses from the Quran. The 40-year-old woman’s condition was not mentioned in court.

She told prosecutors that the man started reciting and, after a while, her husband went to use the toilet, during which time the imam started touching her bottom, back and neck.

She screamed at him and, when her husband came back in to the room, she told him what had happened and he called police.

“I was not touching her,” the imam said to judges.

However, he was convicted and will be deported after serving his jail term.