Teacher jailed for explicit child images, not ‘electronic insult,’ say prosecutors

▶ Abu Dhabi court papers contradict reports on British-German educator

Prosecutors in Abu Dhabi say a British-German teacher was jailed for possessing child pornography, not for an “electronic insult”, as was reported.

Christian Wilke-Breitsameter was arrested in April last year and jailed in December for a year.

Media reported yesterday and last April that he had been arrested for issuing an insult on social media.

“He was arrested because of the images and videos found on his computer and cell phone,” a source in the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department said. “The UAE takes child abuse and the downloading and viewing of child pornography very seriously.”

Wilke-Breitsameter, 39, was teaching at an elite private school in Al Ain when police received a tip that he possessed and distributed images of children.

Court documents seen by

The National show that he confessed to watching videos of child abuse but denied distribution.

Wilke-Breitsameter said he downloaded the videos through the website GigaTribe. He admitted to having more than 300 pictures and about 100 videos.

In December, he was sentenced to a year in jail and a fine of Dh50,000 followed by deportation. Wilke-Breitsameter appeared in court to appeal against the decision on March 27 and failed.

“He is a paedophile and was arrested because of the images and videos found on his computer and cell phone,” a judicial source said.

His was considered to be a lenient sentence given the UAE’s strong stance against child abuse and exploitation. Under child protection laws, punishments can be as harsh as 10 years in prison and a Dh1 million fine.

Wilke-Breitsameter, who is listed as German in court documents, worked in the UK as an information technology teacher at schools including Downe House School in Berkshire, where Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, was a pupil. He moved to the UAE last year.

Wilke-Breitsameter’s mother, who lives in Germany, last year told the press that she did not know why her son was arrested and claimed he was not given details of the crime.

She said he had been sentenced for an online insult and that she was concerned about his mental health.

“On the 25th of December, we were sitting together as a family when the phone rang. It was Christian,” his mother said. “He was completely desperate.

“‘I did not do anything,’ he kept telling me. He cried and begged me to help him. I am so afraid for my son. I’m afraid he will not get through this.”

In February, William Ball, an American teacher from a Dubai school, was arrested over child sexual abuse charges in the US.

Mr Ball was suspended from his post at the Swiss International Scientific School in Al Jaddaf after he was arrested on a trip home. He stands accused of soliciting a minor for sex and child pornography.

Issuing an insult on social media is a crime in the UAE, as is discrimination on the grounds of religion, caste, creed, doctrine, race, colour or ethnic origin. Blasphemy and hate speech online are serious matters.

The sentence given to Wilke-Breitsameter was considered light given powers at the disposal of courts in the UAE