DUBAI // A man threatened to show a woman’s family a video he claimed was of her having sex unless she agreed to meet with him, Dubai Criminal Court was told.
The 35-year-old Syrian told judges he found the video of the 25-year-old woman, also Syrian, online by accident.
“We were in a relationship and planning to get married then I came across this recording of her on the internet. I confronted her with it, then she claimed I threatened her which I did not,” said the defendant.
In August and October 2015, the defendant threatened to show the clip to the victim’s father if she did not meet with him and also sent her threatening and insulting messages. He denied a charge of issuing threats via electronic means.
The woman said she met the defendant on Facebook and the two started chatting on WhatsApp.
“We were only friends and then we stopped talking to each other in 2014 but in 2015 he contacted me and insisted we meet, he said it’s for my own good. He kept on calling and messaging,” said the woman.
“He then sent me a message telling me about a sex clip of me and another man, I told him he was a liar and never to contact me again,” she said.
She called police after the defendant sent her threatening text messages.
The court was shown 104 messages between the woman and the defendant, five of which included threats.
The next hearing will be on May 20.
salamir@thenational.ae