MADINAH, 22 October 2007 — The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice handed to police an Asian expatriate in his early 20s who was caught selling sexually stimulating material including pornographic CDs to women in Madinah on Thursday.
The man, who worked as a salesman at a gifts store in an amusement park in the city, catered largely to women clients. Able to speak with a local Saudi dialect, the man posed as a Saudi and used to peddle sex aids and pornographic CDs. He is also accused of maintaining illegal relations with women customers who used to visit his shop.
The commission had previously warned the man not to behave inappropriately following complaints from members of the public. Recently the head of a women’s charity reported the man to members of the commission saying that he had supplied a pornographic CD to a member of her group.
Commission members raided the shop and seized 400 CDs and other sex stimulants. The items were hidden in the store behind regular goods. Members of the public said the man hardly used to entertain male customers.
The head of the women’s charity said that the man had supplied a member of her group with a CD saying it was a romantic film. However, when played the CD contained obscene material. The man had also asked the woman to uncover her face.
Members of the commission said they were surprised to learn that the man was a foreigner, something that only transpired after they examined his papers.
Abdullah Al-Zahrani, director of the commission’s Madinah branch, said that the man has been transferred to Madinah police station and all his goods have been seized.
