He warmed hearts with his touching video, but now the bystander has been accused of breaking the law.

A man who took a video of a street cleaner helping an elderly woman cross the road in Sharjah is facing charges under the UAE’s cyber crime laws.

The video, which went viral earlier this month after being uploaded to Instagram, showed the municipal worker in the Kalba area lending a helping hand to the women, gently guiding her towards a waiting taxi.

Many social media users praised the worker for his act of kindness, and some were even trying to identify him so he could be rewarded.

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But now, the woman’s son has lodged a police complaint against the man who filmed the incident, Gulf News reports.

The Emirati man reportedly said the video and its subsequent publicity had defamed the family, and that taking it was an “immoral act”.

Sharjah Police told Gulf News they would be summoning the bystander who took the video.

Under the UAE’s cyber crime laws, a person can be fined up to Dhs500,000 and jailed for six months for taking a photo or video of someone without consent and sharing it on social media.

Last year, a Dubai resident uploaded a video to Instagram which clearly identified billionaire Balwinder Sahni’s Rolls Royce, parked in a disabled bay.

Sahni filed a case against the man after the video went viral, but later dropped the charges.

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