DUBAI // A football coach is accused of sexually assaulting one of the boys he trained and threatening to use pictures of him as blackmail, prosecutors say.
The case prompted Dubai juvenile prosecutors to warn parents to impose tighter controls on social media after they “received several such cases” of children and teens being targeted online.
Mohammed Rostom, head of family and juveniles prosecution, said electronic blackmail of the young is a result of lax, or no, parental control and observation.
Prosecutors said the 35-year-old coach, from an Asian country, abused a 15-year-old boy and his friends, then threatened to blackmail them if they told anyone.
The trainer was accused of first befriending the boy on Facebook.
“He lured him into his car, then abused him and took pictures of the teen after forcing him to strip naked, then threatened him with the pictures,” said Mr Rostom.
The accused then allegedly took the victim to a sandy area behind one of the schools where he sexually abused him. The boy told his parents, who reported the incident to police, and investigations revealed there were other young victims involved in the case, said Mr Rostom.
Child pornography files were found on the defendant’s computer, and he was charged with sexual assault, issuing threats, inciting sin among teenagers, and possessing child pornography, said Mr Rostom.
The accused would take the boys to and from their houses whenever they had football training, and abused the last one left in the car, Mr Rostom said.
Prosecutors did not say how many victims were involved, but said that the football coach is soon expected to appear in court.
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THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
Boulder shooting victims
• Denny Strong, 20
• Neven Stanisic, 23
• Rikki Olds, 25
• Tralona Bartkowiak, 49
• Suzanne Fountain, 59
• Teri Leiker, 51
• Eric Talley, 51
• Kevin Mahoney, 61
• Lynn Murray, 62
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.