Man cleared of stalking, blackmailing married woman

Man was accused of tricking a married woman into believing he possessed revealing photos and video of her and threatening to post them on the internet.

DUBAI// An unemployed man has been cleared of stalking a married woman while with her children, and trying to blackmail her into starting an affair with him.

MH, a 29-year-old Iranian, was accused of tricking NJ into believing he possessed revealing photos and video of her and threatening to post them on the internet.

On June 7 NJ, 23, was driving from her brother in law's apartment with her children when she said she noticed a car following her. While stopped at a traffic light, the driver waved at her to lower her window but she refused.

"I got home and he was still following me," she told prosecutors. MH again told her to lower her window and when she did he asked her whether she was married then asked her to become his mistress.

"He told me the names of my husband and children," said NJ, adding that he said he possessed pictures of her as well as video of her with other men.

The next day MH followed her to Al Mamzar park while she was with her friend SE and her children. "It was nearly 9pm and he was asking why I hadn't called him, and said there picture of my friend SE as well," NJ testified.

She claimed the stalking continued for several days until she finally agreed to meet him to see the alleged pictures and videos.

She went with her friend SE to meet him at Al Mulla Plaza, but he had no pictures or recordings with him, she said.

NJ then told her husband who reported him to the police.

On her phone, police found several text messages between her and MH.

He denied the charges in court last September, saying he had never followed NJ. His lawyer accused her of misleading justice.

The court found him not guilty of issuing threats and causing disturbance to a woman by telephone.