When online chatting becomes public, not all are pleased.
The public video chatting of a young Saudi Arabian man, Abu Sin, with a California-based vlogger, Christina Crockett, had attracted millions of viewers across the world.
Nineteen-year-old Abu Sin, a nickname that translates as “toothless” and Crockett, 21, met on YouNow, an online forum that allows people live video chat publicly. Sin barely spoke English and Crockett didn’t speak Arabic.
Though language was a barrier in their communication, they managed to overcome it after chatting online for weeks. Their goofy chats attracted millions of viewers after Crockett posted one of the videos on YouTube.
In one video, Sin was seen saying “Christina, I love you, in broken English.”I love you, too,” she replied.
Sin asked Crockett to marry him, for which, she replied, “I want to marry you, too.”
Bit, the romance was short lived.
Sin was arrested last month by the Saudi Arabian police for “unethical behavior” and was sent to jail. According to the police, his conversations with Crockett were “enticing” and invited “negative attention” from viewers across the world.
The chats were against the cyber crime laws of the nation that prevent making online material that is against the moral values of Saudi Arabia.
“His videos received many comments and many of the commenters of the general public demanded for him to be punished for his actions,” Colonel Fawaz Al-Mayman, a spokesperson for Riyadh police, told Saudi Gazette.
“The two of them composed enticing videos which received thousands of followers and viewers from all over the world within a short period of time. Most of the viewers were from the Arab world. Abu Sin, nicknamed for his projecting tooth, became famous and received negative attention,” he added.
If the videos breach Saudi’s interpretation of Sharia law and internet regulations, Sin may face up to three years in prison, a Saudi lawyer told Okaz newspaper.
Several reports claimed people in Saudi demanded punishment to the youngster as his videos made people laugh at them.
Sin, who was released 10 days after the arrest, has, however, released a new video in which he said he has repented and said he would not use social media in a way that may violate the decency of the Kingdom.
Crockett has also released a video saying people are blaming her for Abu Sin’s arrest.
“Obviously, I think this whole situation is totally crazy and unfair, but I don’t feel I should be getting any hate for this because I have no control over it,” she said, adding that “It’s not my fault that it went viral. It’s not my fault that he got this fame from it or that I got it. Neither of us asked for it.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5omI7KbHeg