Dubai: A technician was handed a two-year sentence for trying to rape a 14-year-old boy inside a mosque washroom.

The Pakistani schoolboy was waiting for his driver to take him to school around 12 noon on the fateful day in March 2017, when the 52-year-old Sudanese technician parked his car in front of the mosque and called him, inviting him to watch a movie on his mobile phone.

When the boy refused, the technician stepped out of his car and forced him into a washroom. He then pulled the boy into a cubicle before attempting to rape the him.

His rape attempt was foiled by two Iranian students who had been present in front of the mosque and had spotted the man forcing his would-be victim into the washroom against his will.

One of them immediately rushed into the washroom after the pair and noticed that both the boy and the technician were in the same cubicle.

He knocked on the locked cubicle door and demanded to know how many people were inside. The technician responded that there was one person.

Spooked, the technician opened the cubicle door and rushed out of the washroom to his car, then sped off.

The rescuers called the boy’s father, who reported the matter to the police.

On Sunday, the Dubai Court of First Instance found the technician guilty of kidnapping the boy, locking him inside the washroom and attempting to rape him.

Presiding judge Mohammad Jamal said the technician, who pleaded not guilty, will be deported after serving his sentence.

Recounting the traumatic experience, the 14-year-old told the court that he had gone to drink cold water besides the mosque when the technician called him.

“He came from behind and pushed me into the washroom. He muzzled me and forced me into the last cubicle where he locked us both in. Then he dropped his pants down and tried to remove mine but someone knocked on the door. The accused opened the door and left in a hurry,” the boy said.

One of the rescuers, an 18-year-old student, said the technician first spoke with boy before stepping out of his vehicle and walking towards him.

“I saw them both entering the same cubicle. I told my friend and he told me to film them to use that as proof in case anything bad happened. Then my friend came and knocked on the door and when he asked how many persons were inside, the defendant replied ‘one’... then he absconded,” the student said.

Sunday’s ruling remains subject to appeal.