Cambridgeshire men used Grindr app to target and rob victims

Two men have been jailed for robbing men they set up using a gay dating app.

Eden White, 22 and Jack Walker, 21 used WhatsApp to plan robberies between May and June 2022.

The pair used Grindr to lure men and arranged to meet up with them at night in Cambridgeshire and robbed them of their belongings.

White, of Lower Cambourne, was jailed for five years, while Walker, from Papworth Everard, was jailed for three years and four months.

Det Con Rebecca Halls said: "These men used WhatsApp to plan every detail of these robberies and then joked about them afterwards."

The first robbery was reported by a man, in his 30s, who had arranged to meet a man called "Toby" at about 02:00 BST on 27 May 2022 at the playing field in Papworth Everard.

Police said the victim, who was deaf, was asked to share his live location and was robbed of his mobile phone and wallet by two men in dark clothing with knives.

Other male victims were targeted using similar tactics in Bourn and Cambourne.

Officers were able to obtain the mobile number that was used to contact one of the victims which was linked to White's phone.

At Huntingdon Law Court last week, White, of Quidditch Lane, Lower Cambourne, was jailed having pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit robbery, being concerned in the supply of class B drugs and conspiring to commit fraud by false representation.

Walker, of Cromwell Crescent, Papworth, admitted conspiring to commit robbery.

Two other men have been sentenced, and one is awaiting sentence.

Mackenzie Wales, 18, of Anson Road, Upper Cambourne, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit robbery and was given a 20-month jail term, suspended for 18 months.

Another teenager was given a 12-month youth referral order.

Harrison Carter, 26, of no fixed address but formerly of Cambridge, admitted conspiring to commit robbery, and is due to be sentenced at a later date.

Det Con Halls said: "They intentionally preyed on members of the LGBT community.

"Targeting victims through Grindr knowing that they would meet up, alone, in times and locations where no-one else was present and believing they would be less likely to report the incidents to police."

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