Man jailed for texting “Married Woman

By Desmond Nleya
In a plot twist worthy of a soap opera, a young man in the UAE has been sentenced to three months behind bars for romancing a married woman online — except the court later decided they can’t actually prove the woman was… well, the woman.

According to Emarat Al Youm, the whole saga began when a husband stumbled upon sweet nothings, emojis, and sentimental selfies exchanged between his wife and another man on Instagram and Snapchat. What started as innocent chats through her homemade-products account apparently blossomed into something far more dramatic — or so he thought.

The man, swept away by digital affection, confessed to sending the messages but claimed he believed the lady was divorced, available, and possibly his future bride. He said she opened up about her marriage problems, which made him respond with sympathy, romance, and perhaps a few extra heart emojis.

The alleged woman, however, denied everything — the chats, the accounts, and presumably the romance — insisting none of it could be traced back to her. No technical evidence, no fingerprints, not even a suspiciously familiar emoji pattern.

Her lawyer went further, calling the whole case a product of “family drama,” hinting that the husband and the accused man actually knew each other beforehand. (Plot thickens!) Meanwhile, the man’s lawyer pleaded for a miracle, pointing out that the entire case hinged on vibes, assumptions, and screenshots.

Both defendants appeared in a remote hearing, probably from the comfort of their homes, denying everything — except the man, who kept insisting he was only guilty of believing in love and the possibility of marriage.

But the court wasn’t swayed by romance or emojis. Judges reminded everyone that confessions must be backed by real evidence. And in this case, the evidence against the woman was about as solid as a Snapchat message that disappears in 3 seconds. She was fully acquitted under Article 212 of the Criminal Procedure Law.

The man, however, wasn’t as lucky. His confessions, court statements, and the husband’s testimony sealed his fate. He received three months in jail, had his phone confiscated (good luck explaining that to future dates), and must pay court fees.

Throughout the ordeal, he maintained that he genuinely thought the woman was divorced — meaning he might have gone to jail for online flirting with someone who may not even have been the person he thought she was.

If that’s not the strangest modern romance story, we don’t know what is.