Two burglars jailed after using Grindr to trick victims
Two thieves have been jailed after using dating app Grindr to trick victims into letting them into their homes and then steal their mobile phones and cash.
Rahmat Khan Mohammadi, 23, and Mohammed Bilal Hotak, 27, held meetings at their targets’ London properties, then persuaded them to reveal their phone passwords under the guise of playing music on YouTube.
Afghan refugees would then flee with the devices, quickly leaving the building before making online or contactless payments and, in some cases, transferring the money directly to themselves.
Mohammadi targeted 11 people in a five-month crime spree that took place between October 24, 2024 and March 24 this year, while Hotak committed multiple crimes between October 24, 2024 and December 23, 2024.
At Isleworth Crown Court on Monday, Mohammadi was sentenced to five years in prison, while Hotak was sentenced to three-and-a-half years.
Sentencing the duo, Judge Adenike Balogun highlighted the profound impact on the victims and said: “I noted the psychological trauma suffered by the victims, as well as their distress and violation of being allowed into their homes – their private spaces.”
Prosecutor David Patience suggested that these crimes could be considered hate crimes, arguing that the victims were targeted because of their sexual orientation.
But the judge clarified his position: “I have considered this matter very carefully and it seems to me that the presumed sexual orientation of the victims presented an opportunity for you to commit the offense and in that context the victims were targeted because of their perceived vulnerability.”
He concluded that the victims were not selected because of “hostility” towards their sexuality, but rather because Grindr, as an app that facilitates same-sex relationships, offered “the opportunity for easy access to the victims’ homes.”
Judge Balogun added: “I think you were relying on the victims not to report the crime and I mean no more than that.”
To facilitate their crimes, a Grindr profile was created, often without a photo. When victims asked for a photo, someone else’s photo was sent.
Meetings were held at which Muhammadi frequently brought Hotak with him as a ‘friend’. Once inside, they would ask the victim to play music, often via YouTube, as this prevented the phone from locking.
A distraction tactic will then be used to encourage the victim to leave the room with excuses such as needing to shower before sex, drinking, or being taken to the bathroom.
“In all cases, when the victim returns to the main room where you left it, or when one or the other of you leaves and the victim notices that his mobile phone is missing,” the judge said.
Mohammadi, of Weald Lane in Harrow, north-west London, was found guilty by a jury of 10 counts of burglary of a house, nine counts of fraud by false representation and one count of theft.
Hotak, of Richmond Road in Hackney, east London, was convicted of five counts of burglary, five counts of fraud by false representation and one count of theft.
