A man accused of sexually harassing a child on social media has been placed in provisional detention pending trial.
The 32-year-old suspect, whose nationality was not disclosed, allegedly sent the child sexually explicit images and asked him to take photographs of himself in ‘indecent poses’.
The Public Prosecution said, in a statement, yesterday that it launched an investigation following a report from the Child Protection Unit in Cyberspace, which is part of the General Directorate of Anti-corruption and Economic and Electronic Security.
According to the report, an unknown individual had sexually harassed a child on a social media platform.
After intensive investigations, authorities confirmed the incident, identified the alleged perpetrator and arrested him.
“Investigators found that the suspect had sent indecent images to the young victim and instructed him to perform sexual acts while photographing himself,” the statement said. “They also discovered that the man had a prior history of similar offences and of exploiting children online.”
The child’s statement was taken, and he has been placed under the victim and witness protection programme to ensure the confidentiality of his information and safeguard his identity.
The accused was also questioned regarding the charges against him, and the contents of his seized mobile phone were examined. He was then put in provisional detention in preparation to be referred to the Criminal Court for trial.
The Public Prosecution yesterday affirmed that it will not hesitate to take legal action against anyone who exploits cyberspace in ways that violate children’s rights or expose them to any form of mistreatment. It emphasised that the kingdom has a comprehensive legislative system that provides stringent protection for children and imposes severe penalties – which may include imprisonment – for sexual offences.
This is to ensure the highest levels of protection and to safeguard children from any exposure or exploitation.
The GDN reported earlier that the man allegedly lured a number of children through a social media platform using deceptive means, including falsely promising them gifts and sums of money.
According to the Interior Ministry, they received a report of the case on the e-Reporting service on the MyGov application. Investigations indicated that he sent content and images of other victims who had previously been lured, with the aim of influencing and exploiting them for unlawful motives.
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