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Jail for burglars who used Grindr dating app to dupe victims
Rahmat Khan Mohammadi and Mohammed Bilal Hotak committed 35 burglaries and 20 frauds targeting 22 gay men via Grindr, stealing £68,000 in London homes, police said.
- On Monday at Isleworth Crown Court, Rahmat Khan Mohammadi, 23, was jailed for five years and Mohammed Bilal Hotak, 27, for three and a half years for stealing phones and money using Grindr.
- Prosecutor David Patience argued victims were targeted due to their sexuality and offences could be hate crimes, while Judge Adenike Balogun found targeting arose from victims' perceived vulnerability rather than hostility.
- Profiles often lacked photos and sent others' images, using the YouTube/music tactic to keep phones unlocked; Mohammadi was convicted of 10 burglaries and nine frauds, Hotak of five burglaries and five frauds.
- Judge Adenike Balogun said victims suffered psychological trauma and distress after being violated in their homes, and one victim was hospitalised while others had finances destroyed, prosecutor David Patience read statements showing.
- With about 15 million monthly users, Met Police said suspects created multiple new profiles per week, targeting several men and showing a broader pattern on Grindr in London.
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Evening Standard+10 Reposted by 10 other sources
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·London, United Kingdom
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Grindr thefts leave men facing debt and trauma as two men jailed in London
Two men, Rahmat Khan Mohammadi, 23, and Mohammed Bilal Hotak, 21, have been jailed after using Grindr to commit dozens of offences against unsuspecting gay men, leaving victims feeling targeted for their sexuality and vulnerabilities.The offences, carried out over a period six months, resulted in phones, passports, and cards being stolen was valued at around £68,000.At Isleworth Crown Court, Judge Adenike Bologun said the men relied on the victi…
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Leaning Left7Leaning Right1Center6Last UpdatedBias Distribution50% Left
Bias Distribution
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L 50%
C 43%
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