Teacher tells Dubai court pupil's porn image story is a set-up

DUBAI // A school teacher denied showing a pornographic image to and then molesting a 14-year-old female pupil, accusing the school's principal of framing him, Dubai Criminal Court heard today.

Egyptian JF, 39, insisted that the case was concocted. "I had a dispute with the school's principal and he decided to accuse me of breaching the modesty of the student," said the defendant as he shed tears in front of a panel of judges.

His defence lawyer told court that his client is a devoutly religious man who could not have committed such an act. "Even during his detention, more than three inmates have converted to Islam because of him," the lawyer said.

Prosecution records stated that, on April 18, the teacher had shown pornographic images to a 14-year-old female pupil. He is alleged to have then made the girl touch him.

The girl told her mother of the alleged incident and she informed the school's principal.

"When we confronted him he claimed he was having breathing difficulties and an ambulance was called but rescuers who checked him said he was faking it," said British school principal AJ, 48.

Police were called and the teacher was arrested after the ambulance left.

However, the prosecution report stated that no pornographic images were found on the teacher's laptop, which the pupil said he used to show her the images.

A verdict is expected on July 31.