A Dubai-based man has been sentenced to 6 months in jail, and to be followed by deportation for stealing his former girlfriend's phone and posting her private photos on Facebook and WhatsApp.
Initially sentenced to two years in jail, the man's jail time was later reduced to 6 months by a Dubai Court of Appeals which also retained the order to deport him after serving his time.
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According to the Gulf News, the case was first heard at the Dubai Court of First Instance in which the woman said the defendant stole her smartphone while at a shopping centre in Dubai, and threatened to publish her private photos on social media, and as well, her husband and family members.
The woman told the court that she knew the defendant before she got married to her husband.
"I was already married and had a baby," the woman said. "I asked him (the defendant) not to contact me in the future, but he threatened to make public my personal pictures if I broke off."
Reacting to the incident, the woman's husband told the court that he was surprised to receive WhatsApp messages from his wife despite the fact that they were together at home. She told him that her phone was stolen and someone was trying to blackmail her.
The two went and reported the incident to the Dubai Police who made the arrest. The defendant admitted to sending pictures and messages to the woman's family members via social media.
The defendant was charged with robbery and blackmail.