A private chauffeur of Pakistani descent is on trial in Dubai for allegedly molesting his Emirati sponsor's four-year-old son, Gulf News reported on Wednesday.
Despite having previously admitted to the crime while being questioned by authorities, the driver denied the accusations before the Dubai Court of First Instance, which is set to rule on the case on July 25.
According to the prosecution, the child was playing in the garden when the 30-year-old suspect lured him into the former's bedroom and sexually assaulted him there.
When the child's mother called the suspect to ask about her son's whereabouts, the chauffeur allegedly told her that the boy was with him in the bedroom.
The child then went to the kitchen, where his mother noticed that "his backside was hurting," after which he told her he had been molested.
"When I confronted the suspect, he admitted that he had used a lubricant when he molested the boy and then cleaned him up," the mother alleged, according to Gulf News.
Meanwhile, the suspect told presiding Judge Arafa Mohammad: "I did not touch him… I am innocent."
Dubai Police has been cracking down on child molesters
Over the past few years, the emirate has witnessed several cases of sexual abuse against children.
In June, a Dubai-based Indian man was found guilty of "inappropriately touching" a six-year-old boy at a mosque. The perpetrator has been sentenced to three months in jail and will be deported after serving his prison sentence.
In response to the alarming spike in similar cases, authorities have launched several campaigns in an effort to raise awareness among both parents and young children.
In one campaign, officials released child-friendly videos that educate kids about sexual abuse and provide advice on how to deal with strangers in public areas.