Grindr burglary duo jailed for London crime spree targeting gay men

Two Afghan asylum seekers have been jailed at Isleworth Crown Court for a months-long campaign of theft and fraud targeting gay men via Grindr, affecting 22 victims.

Two men jailed for Grindr-linked burglary and fraud campaign across London

Two Afghan asylum seekers have been sentenced to prison after a metropolitan court found them guilty of orchestrating a systematic campaign of theft, burglary, and fraud targeting gay men they had contacted through the dating app Grindr. Evrimagaci.org reports that the case, heard at Isleworth Crown Court on Monday 22 December 2025, resulted in sentences for both men following a complex investigation by the Metropolitan Police.

Rahmat Khan Mohammadi, 23, was handed a five-year prison term. His accomplice, Mohammad Bilal Hotak, 27, received three and a half years. Both are Afghan nationals who had entered the UK as asylum seekers. Together, they were linked to 35 burglaries and 20 related frauds targeting 22 known victims across London between October 2024 and March 2025.

Fake profiles and distraction tactics

Mohammadi and Hotak created fraudulent profiles on Grindr — sometimes using stolen or generic photographs, sometimes none at all — and used them to arrange meetings with men at their homes under the pretence of dates. Once inside, the pair deployed a range of distraction techniques. A favoured method involved asking to play music via YouTube, persuading victims to unlock their phones, which the duo then used to access personal and financial information.

In other instances, one man would distract the victim — by requesting to use the bathroom, making a drink, or taking a shower — while the other stole phones, wallets, passports, and watches. According to court documents and police statements, Mohammadi was connected to at least 11 victims, while Hotak participated in several of the burglaries and frauds.

One victim described being led into a dark, wet park late at night, encouraged to undress, and then robbed of his phone. He later described the experience as "invasive and degrading," adding that it had left him fearful of meeting people online. Another victim spoke of losing irreplaceable photographs of deceased family members, describing the emotional impact as causing "severe psychological trauma."

Investigation and arrests

The Metropolitan Police's Specialist Crime Command opened its inquiry in March 2025 after officers across several London boroughs identified a pattern: a series of phone thefts with Grindr as the consistent link. Detectives reviewed hundreds of hours of CCTV footage, cross-referenced automatic number plate recognition data to trace vehicles used by the pair, and analysed thousands of phone records and messages. The work enabled police to connect the two men and also allowed investigators to reopen a number of previously unsolved cases.

Mohammadi was arrested on 3 April 2025 and charged two days later with one count of theft, 17 counts of burglary, and 12 fraud offences. Hotak was arrested on 24 April and charged the following day.

Community trust at the centre of the inquiry

Detective Inspector Mark Gavin, who led the investigation, stressed the importance of victim engagement throughout the case. "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 throughout this investigation," Gavin said. The inquiry involved specialist LGBT+ community liaison officers and close collaboration with GALOP, the UK's LGBT+ anti-abuse charity. That approach, Gavin noted, helped secure stronger evidence for the Crown Prosecution Service.

Superintendent Owen Renowden, the Met's Hate Crime Lead, condemned the men's conduct in a statement: "Mohammadi and Hotak carried out a series of callous, calculated, pre-planned crimes across London, targeting men and stealing high-value items and money. Their actions had a devastating impact on their victims. Nobody should be made to feel unsafe in their own homes."

Sentencing remarks

During sentencing, Judge Adenike Balogun acknowledged the psychological harm caused to victims whose homes had been violated. "I have taken note of the psychological trauma as well as the inconvenience caused to the victims, and the distress that all of them have expressed at allowing you into their homes — into their private space — only to be violated," she said.

Prosecutor David Patience had argued that the men targeted victims on the basis of their sexuality, suggesting the offences could constitute hate crimes. Judge Balogun ruled, however, that while the pair exploited what they perceived as the vulnerability of gay men using Grindr, no evidence existed of direct hostility towards the victims' sexual orientation. She concluded that "the presumed sexual orientation of the victims presented an opportunity for you to commit the crime."

Defence attorney John Kearney had argued during proceedings that the Grindr platform itself "enabled completely anonymous people to be invited as complete strangers into the homes of the victims."

The case has drawn attention across London's LGBT+ community, with advocates noting both the psychological toll on victims who came forward and the significance of law enforcement's efforts to take their accounts seriously.

Source: Google News UK — Crime (en)