Dating app Grindr 'linked to dozens of child sex abuse cases' - some with boys as young as 12
Grindr is facing accusations of being a site used by men to meet and rape young boys, including two children aged under 13.
The popular dating app faced at least 13 police reports of serious sexual offences allegedly perpetrated against children, including at least five reports of rape, in which it was listed as the first point of contact between the suspect and victim.
An investigation by The i Paper made the shocking reveal after analysing reports made to police in the first ten months of 2024.
One example was of a boy, 12, who was raped in a car and sexually assaulted twice in a park in Warrington by a 50-year-old who he first spoke to on Grindr last February and agreed to meet him in person for cash and vapes.
In that case, the rapist pleaded guilty to the charges in June and was jailed for 64 months.
Surrey Police is currently investigating another rape case of a boy under the age of 13 to the platform, while Lincolnshire police report that a boy aged under 13 allegedly suffered a sexual assault after using the Grindr app.
The site is the world's largest LGBTQ dating app which claims to provide a 'safe space' for the community and says that under-18s are not allowed to use the app.
However, evidence shows the platform's age checks – which require an individual to state they are 18 or over – are failing to stop serious abuse of children.
The popular dating app faced at least 13 police reports of serious sexual offences allegedly perpetrated against children, including at least five reports of rape, in which it was listed as the first point of contact between the suspect and victim (file image)
Police disclosures show dozens of underage boys have been able to gain access to the app and be allegedly sexually abused by older men.
Dating back to 2019, Freedom of Information requests show that Grindr has been listed as playing a key role in at least 130 reports of sexual offences allegedly perpetrated against minors.
This includes 40 reports of rape and multiple reports of children being paid for sex.
Within the same time frame, more than 100 additional sexual offences reportedly perpetrated against children have also been linked to Grindr.
In these cases, the platform's involvement is not fully known, as some forces refused to provide further clarity due to data protection laws.
The Metropolitan Police, Police Scotland and the Police Service of Northern Ireland, refused to provide data due to time constraints, meaning the true figures are likely to be higher.
According to Victoria Green, CEO of Marie Collins Foundation, the reported figures will be low in comparison to the actual offences, due to the barriers LGBTQ people face when reporting sexual offences, such as having to reveal their sexuality.
Some believe these findings are 'just the tip of the iceberg', with lawyer Carrie Goldberg predicting a 'generation of men coming forward pointing the finger at this app for facilitating their sexual exploitation' in the next 20 years.
Jess Phillips, minister for safeguarding and violence against women and girls, said the claims were 'incredibly concerning'
Campaigners believe abusers are targeting young members of the LGBTQ community who are particularly susceptible over dating apps such as Grindr.
And MPs, police and campaigners are now demanding urgent action to safeguard young people.
Jess Phillips, minister for safeguarding and violence against women and girls, said the claims were 'incredibly concerning', while Former Justice Secretary Lord Falconer described the disclosures of underage abuse as a 'big scandal'.
Assistant chief constable Becky Riggs, the national police lead for child protection, said that sexual predators are exploiting platforms to commit crimes against children.
She called for 'much more action from tech companies to do more to make their platforms safe places' and to stop the 'widespread grooming and exploitation of children'.
A spokesperson for Grindr told i that it went to 'great lengths' to prevent children from accessing the app.
The company says it has a moderation team to identify and ban accounts if they are suspected of belonging to minors.
Individuals can only download their app through the most age-restrictive settings on app stores, the spokesperson said.
The site is the world's largest LGBTQ dating app which claims to provide a 'safe space' for the community and says that under-18s are not allowed to use the app
They added: 'There is no place in society for abuse of minors, and we wholly condemn anyone who commits crimes against underage individuals.'
Ofcom is yet to decide whether dating apps will be required to enforce strict age verification measures under the long-awaited Online Safety Act.
According to the communication regulator, Grindr has nearly 1 million users in the UK and around 14 million monthly active users around the globe.
To make a profile, users have to provide their date of birth, which must show that they are at least 18 years old.
Grindr can be downloaded on the Google and Apple app stores. Both state that users must be adults to access the app, which is rated under the most age-restrictive settings.
This means a minor can only access Grindr if a parent or guardian has permitted the downloading of adult-only apps on the device that the minor is using.
The Government warned Grindr in 2019 that the platform's lack of effective age verification presented 'a significant risk to child safety' and asked for an update about what the company was doing to stop children using the platform.
Dating services will have until this April to determine if their platforms are likely to be accessed by children, under the Online Safety Act which is yet to come into force.
If they are, dating companies must implement safety measures to 'mitigate risks'.
If these companies fail to protect children, Ofcom can seek a court order to block access or impose maximum fines of 10% of worldwide turnover or £18m, whichever is greater.
In response to The i Paper's findings, Grindr said: 'Our app currently has an age gate, a substantial moderation team to identify and ban accounts at the device level if they are suspected to belong to minors or discuss topics related to minors, and deployment of AI and machine learning technology to proactively identify and ban similar accounts.
'Unlike virtually every other major social media or online dating service, you cannot create a Grindr account on the web. Users can only create a Grindr account by downloading the app from the Apple and Google app stores, where it is categorised under the most age-restrictive settings.
'Preventing minors from accessing adult-only apps and content is critically important across the internet ecosystem, and we are actively engaged with the UK online safety regulator and online child safety groups to combat this industry-wide challenge. We also cooperate with UK law enforcement requests in cases where perpetrators misuse our platform.
'As we've grown to serve millions of adults in the UK over the last several years, we've been increasing investment and further bolstering our approach to barring minors from the app.
'For many gay and bi adult men in the UK and around the world, Grindr is the primary and often the only way to build a community. For that reason our users play an active role in reporting accounts that they suspect may belong to minors, which are then scrutinised by our moderation team.'
Does your moderation team report abusers to the police? Or do they just shut them down so they have to start a new account? They must come into hundreds of paedos every day. I'm inclined to believe you could clean up this filthy swamp in no time with a little effort.
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