UAE man who blackmailed colleague over photos jailed one year

ABU DHABI // A judicial department employee who blackmailed his colleague over personal photos he stole from her mobile phone was today sentenced to a year in prison.

The Sudanese man uploaded the photos without the woman's knowledge while she was charging her phone on a work computer. A few months later he emailed her, pretending to be a woman, and threatened to publish the photos unless she paid him Dh50,000 within two days.

The woman did not respond to the email, instead reporting the matter to police, who arrested the man while he was at work.

He confessed to stealing the photos and threatening the woman but denied blackmailing her, claiming he was joking when he asked for the money.

The court gave him several chances to reconcile with the woman and ask her to withdraw the complaint but she refused.

He will be deported after serving his prison term.

hdajani@thenational.ae