Dubai teacher held after sending sexual messages to student

An Asian teacher admitted to molesting his student and sending indecent messages that prompted the girl to express suicidal thoughts to her teachers and classmates, Dubai prosecutors heard.

The girl's mother said that in May, the school in Al Twar reported a sudden change in her 11-year-old daughter's overall physical and mental state and behaviour as she occasionally expressed suicidal thoughts to her teachers and classmates.

"I watched my daughter closely and it was clear to us that she was facing psychological and physical pressures that we couldn't understand. She consistently complained of pain in different parts of her body," the Syrian mother told prosecutors.

She added that in July, she discovered that her daughter, a 6th grader, had been subjected to verbal sexual abuse by her computer teacher, 46-year-old Filipino.

"I discovered he was sending inappropriate sexual messages and images of sexual content over WhatsApp. I contacted the school's principal who coordinated with us so we could take the appropriate measures," the mother told investigators.

At some point he asked the girl to send inappropriate pictures of herself, the mother said. On July 10, the mother reported him to Al Qusais Police Station.

The teacher, who was questioned by investigators the next day, admitted to sending the girl messages of sexual nature.

He told investigators he got the girl's number after he assigned his students with a project. "I gave students my number when I assigned them with the project. The girl got in touch with me on WhatsApp about the project, and that's when I started asking her to send inappropriate pictures of herself," the teacher said. Through a medical check-up, investigators found out the girl had been subjected to verbal sexual abuse but not physical abuse.

The teacher has been referred to court with a charge of inciting sin.

Source: Khaleej Times