ABU DHABI // The Supreme Court upheld the sentence on Tuesday for a man convicted of possessing and distributing child pornography online.
Police discovered videos on the man’s laptop which showed juveniles performing sex acts, and he also broadcast the content online. He was arrested and charged on June 11, and was jailed for a year at Sharjah Criminal Court and fined Dh50,000.
The sentence was reduced on appeal to six months followed by deportation, and the fine halved to Dh25,000.
The man however, appealed against the conviction at the Supreme Court.
He originally confessed to the crime but retracted his confession, claiming he had admitted to it because he was afraid.
He claimed to have bought a CD but did not know that it contained pornographic material.
He also claimed to have not shared the content with anyone else. The Supreme Court, however, rejected his argument.
The court said: “Criminal intent is a matter inside the offender’s head, and it cannot be reached or analysed except through exterior clues surrounding the incident.”
The Supreme Court upheld the Appeal Court verdict. The man will be deported after serving a six-month jail term.
hdajani@thenational.ae