AL-AHSA — A criminal court in Al-Ahsa in the Eastern Province sentenced a man, convicted of sexually harassing a married woman, to five years in prison. The first joint criminal circuit at the court also ruled to close his WhatsApp account and confiscate his mobile phone as these were misused for committing the crime. The Public Prosecution framed charges against the defendant following a petition filed by the husband of the woman victim. The man was accused of attempting to seduce the woman by sending her WhatsApp messages with a sexual connotation and indecency and inviting her to engage in sexual intercourse. The Public Prosecution noted that the defendant obtained the woman's phone number while performing his duties. The court found that the defendant confessed to have sent messages to the wife of the petitioner, and acknowledged that the mobile number used in the crime belongs to him. The man also confessed to communicating with the woman with explicit sexual connotations and inviting her for sex. The court awarded him 4 years and 6 months of imprisonment based on Article 6-8 of the Anti-Cyber Crime Law and 6 months as a disciplinary action.
