DUBAI // A man lost his appeal and will have to serve two years in jail for posting images of a policeman in uniform on Instagram with a caption saying the officer is a homosexual offering sexual services.
The 29-year-old Filipino was found guilty by both the criminal and appeals courts of threatening to defame the officer if he did not pay Dh8,000 and with using telecommunications to assault the privacy of him.
Both the Filipino and the Yemeni officer, whose age was not given, were charged with having consensual sex outside wedlock, a charge the officer will face at Dubai Court of Misdemeanours.
The policeman said he was friends with the Filipino but that he was contacted by other friends who told him that his picture in uniform was on Instagram along with inappropriate words.
“I told them it was not me who posted them and I headed to the police station to report the matter,” he said.
He was then questioned by his superior and later arrested by CID officers and referred to a forensic expert.
During questioning by CID, the policeman said the Filipino posted the picture and another one of his father, images that he had sent the Filipino a year ago.
He told investigators the Filipino had threatened to post the pictures if he did not agree to be his lover and then asked him for Dh8,000.
The circumstances of the relationship the pair had were not divulged.
The Filipino will be deported after serving his jail term.
salamir@thenational.ae