The Abu Dhabi Criminal Court has sentenced the 8 individuals to jail terms between three and 15 years
An Abu Dhabi court has sentenced eight individuals to prison for online child sexual exploitation, following investigations that revealed they lured minors through social media and gaming platforms to share explicit material.
They were also found guilty of possessing and exchanging indecent content involving children.
In its ruling, the Abu Dhabi Criminal Court sent the convicted to jail terms between three and 15 years along with fines of up to Dh1 million.
Beside the jail sentences and the financial penalty, the court ordered the confiscation of devices used in committing the crimes and banned the convicts from accessing the internet.
Furthermore, the convicts’ related online accounts will be closed, and three of them will be deported upon the completion of their prison terms.
This comes after authorities in Abu Dhabi monitored suspicious online activities and cases of online exploitation of minors. After extensive investigations, arrest warrants were issued and the defendants were apprehended.
Forensic analysis of the convicted’s electronic devices confirmed the presence of child pornographic material that had been obtained and shared online.
In a statement on Monday, the Abu Dhabi Public Prosecution called on parents to monitor their children’s online activity, raise awareness of the dangers of accepting friend requests from unknown individuals through social media or gaming platforms, and educate them on how to respond if they become victims of blackmail.
Against online child abuse
The UAE’s efforts to combat online child abuse have also included participation in a recent global operation, providing training to law enforcement officers.
The training took place in the Buenos Aires, as part of the “AI for Safer Kids” initiative launched by the Ministry of Interior and United Nations Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) in 2020.
The major operation, which was led by Argentina, resulted in the issuance of 73 search warrants, and 32 arrests were made.
In addition, 15 children and adolescents were rescued, and 393 electronic devices were confiscated. Out of these, 22 suspects were arrested on charges of possessing, producing or distributing child sexual exploitation materials.
The operation was implemented simultaneously in 15 countries, including: Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Paraguay, Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Venezuela, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and the United States of America.
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