Man gets reduced sentence for molestation after victim drops charges

AMMAN — The Cassation Court has upheld an October Criminal Court ruling sentencing a 25-year-old man to a reduced sentence after convicting him of molesting a woman by spreading indecent photos of her in June of 2016.

The Criminal Court first handed the defendant a four-year prison term after convicting him of molesting the woman by taking photos of her while in her underwear.

However, the court decided to reduce the sentence to half because the victim dropped charges against the defendant, whom she met while studying at a public university.

The court issued the ruling based on the Cyber Crime Law.

Court papers said the victim was involved in a relationship with the defendant after she got divorced from her husband.

On one occasion, the court maintained, “the two engaged in sexual activities and the defendant took photos of the victim in her underwear for the sake of memory”.

The defendant then “asked for her hand in marriage but she refused and reunited with her husband”, according to court papers.

As a result, the court documents maintained, the defendant “became angry and sent the photos to her husband”.

The victim reported the incident to the Cyber Crime Unit and the defendant was summoned for questioning and eventually arrested, court papers added.

The defendant had contested the Criminal Court’s ruling arguing that “the court relied on contradictory testimonies by the victim and disregarded other evidence that could have helped the young man”.

The defendant also argued through his lawyer that “the court failed to examine certain evidence that would have helped him with his case”.

Meanwhile, the Criminal Court attorney general asked the higher court to uphold the ruling.

The higher court ruled that the Criminal Court proceedings were accurate and the defendant received the appropriate punishment.