A cleaner sexually assaulted a boy at a mosque in Dubai, the emirate’s criminal court heard on Sunday.

The Afghani boy, 7, visited a mosque in Al Rafaa with his mother on June 4 when he stepped away from her to get some water.

Prosecutors said the Bangladeshi cleaner, 31, approached the boy and lured him to the women’s praying area, where he turned off the lights and molested him.

“My son came running towards me and he was very scared. After calming him down, he told me what happened,” said the mother.

She said the accused promised her son sweets and toys if he did not tell anyone what happened.

“Moments later, the defendant came and sat beside us carrying toys and sweets. I screamed at him and asked him to leave. He begged me not to alert my husband or police but I did,” said the mother, in court records.

Dubai Police arrested the accused the following day and, during questioning, he admitted to molesting the boy.

At court, he was charged with sexual assault. The verdict will be issued on September 15.