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 victims being "too embarrassed to report the crime", and the court also heard that the men would prepare dates with the victims through Grindr, enter their home, and carry out the offences.

The stolen devices would then be used to access banking applications and cards would be used to make purchases. One victim reported feeling "helpless", with another saying they felt targeted due to their sexuality.

Prosecuting, David Patience said that the pair held "contemptuous ill will" towards the victims, but the barrister for Hotak, John Kearney, claimed the "victims will have learned a lesson" and denied the suggestion that this was "ill will towards the gay community."

Detective Inspector Mark Gavin said: "We know that trust and confidence in the Met police is lower among the LGBT+ community than most groups, so ensuring victims felt heard, believed and taken seriously was a key focus for us".

In 2023, a landmark report by Baroness Louise Casey found the Metropolitan Police to be institutionally homophobic, with one in five Met employees experiencing homophobia. There has been other notable cases where the police have failed to act appropriately in cases of crime against gay men.

Mohammadi was sentences to five years in prison and Hotak to three-and-a-half years.