A man was assaulted and blackmailed into paying a woman he refused to have sex with because he was expecting another woman he met online instead, Dubai Criminal Court was told on Monday.
The Saudi national said he met a woman on a chatting application online after which they agreed to meet to have sex at her hotel room on August 3.
According to court records, after the man – whose age was not disclosed - arrived at the hotel room, a Nigerian woman opened the door to let him in.
"I asked about the woman I met online and I was told there was no such woman. Moments later, the woman undressed and told me it was only her who I would have sex with, so I refused," he said.
Two men entered the room and told him to pay the woman. He said he told the men he refused to pay for a service he didn't receive but they allegedly stripped him naked and took his photo.
"They threatened to post my pictures on Facebook if I didn't pay," he told prosecutors.
He said he paid them Dh500 but was threatened into giving them more money. "I told them I had Dh500 more in the car so they escorted me to the car. I gave them the money then they let me go so I called police."
Police arrested the two men and the woman was found hiding between the false ceiling of the reception and the first floor. It was not clear how she got there.
During questioning, the three defendants allegedly admitted to tricking the man then threatening him.
"When he refused to have sex with me, the men slapped him and had him undress then took his pictures naked," the woman said.
Her accomplices said they were following orders from the woman who asked them to ensure the customer paid her. "She told us to strip him naked and take his pictures," they said.
In court on Monday, all three Nigerian defendants denied charges of theft, sexual assault and issuing threats to defame the Saudi man through social media.
Prosecutors said they found the man's nude pictures on the woman's mobile phone.
A verdict is expected on October 30.