Group of Men Jailed After Using Grindr to Meet Victims

A group of five men who used the gay dating app Grindr to target and rob men in a series of robberies were jailed on the 13th of January. 

The group of five men tricked men they met on the app into a meeting before assaulting them and stealing their belongings. 

It is believed that over a period of 10 months that the group robbed the equivalent of €120,000 in belongings in Birmingham and Derby over a 10-month period. 

The group received sentences ranging from 12 to 17 years at Birmingham Crown Court.  

Victims say they were encouraged into a meeting and when they arrived, they were attacked and robbed by the group. 

Victims were sometimes kept against their will for hours while the men raided their bank accounts. 

The judge presiding over the case Judge Sarah Buckingham said: "It is clear that there has been long-lasting consequences on the men who have done nothing to deserve what happened to them. 

She also added that "The sentences were entirely justified to reflect the gravity of offences." 

Some of the victims sustained injuries such as a broken eye socket, a dislocated shoulder and a broken nose.  

The victims were held captive while their phones were used to transfer large sums of money from their accounts.