Cleaner in dock for filming schoolboys in locker room

dubai — A cleaner has been charged in court after he shot photos and a video of two siblings, aged 7 and 9, as they were changing in their school locker room.

The 23-year-old Nigerian worker faced charges of sexual assault and invasion of privacy at the Court of First Instance. According to public prosecution records, the cleaner sneaked into the locker room with a concealed mobile phone — in violation of the school’s rules — and recorded the Turkish siblings.

The incident took place on March 27 and a complaint was lodged at Al Barsha police station. The boys’ mother, a housewife, said the school camp supervisor spoke to her when she arrived to pick up her sons at 2pm. “He told me they called the police after a worker sneaked into the locker room. On the way, my son told me he was with his brother and a friend, when a cleaner walked inside and snapped their photos.” Later that day, the mother was called to go to the Bur Dubai police station.

The cleaner covered the mobile phone with his hands and denied he took any photos when I talked to him.” Victim, 9-year-old boy

The 9-year-old boy said the incident happened after they came back from a swimming activity at the pool. They were at the school for a spring camp. “We were changing our clothes when my friend alerted me about the cleaner who was clicking photos. The latter covered the mobile phone with his hands and denied he took any photos when I talked to him. He refu-sed to show us the phone’s gallery and left shortly later.”

Five photos and a video clip were found stored in the cleaner’s mobile phone. The defendant was focusing on those two kids as they changed their clothes. The cleaner confessed during investigation to filming the boys. A verdict will be pronounced on May 27.

mary@khaleejtimes.com