Teacher accused of sending indecent picture on Snapchat to female pupil at Dubai school

A British teacher at a Dubai school sent an indecent picture of himself to a female pupil before making threats against her when she filed a complaint, a court heard.

He is accused of sending the lewd image to the girl, now 19, while she was a pupil at the school where he worked.

The teacher, 39, was arrested at Dubai International Airport on January 7.

Police charged him with sending an indecent picture of himself to the teenage girl on Snapchat and threatening her on Instagram.

The offences were said to have taken place between 2019 and 2020.

The teacher denied the charges in the Dubai Court of Misdemeanours.

“She was my pupil for eight years and last year she taught me how to use Snapchat and added herself to my contacts,” he said.

“After doing so, she often sent me images of herself in revealing clothes.”

He said he was surprised that, after graduating from school, she lodged a complaint in December.

The pupil said the teacher insisted they connect on Snapchat and added her to his contacts.

"I was afraid to complain because he was my teacher and I feared he would lower my grades," the girl said.

“After I left school I told its administration and lodged the police report.”

The teacher's lawyers said there is a lack of evidence.

“No [evidence of] deleted messages were found on his devices, according to the criminal laboratory report,” said Emirati lawyer Awatif Mohammed at the hearing.

“While my client handed his devices for examination, the girl refused to give her mobile phone to the police to be checked."

She said it was possible the girl had sent herself the image after she accessed her teacher’s account while showing him how to use the app.

“I request my client be acquitted,” Ms Mohammed said.

A verdict is expected on May 30.