How serial rapists are using Tinder and other dating apps to lure their victims – and why police are often powerless to stop them
- NSW Police Commissioner is fearful serial rapists use Tinder to lure their victims
- Mick Fuller said he doesn’t have the data to prove whether fears are true or false
- Project will try to find out if the offenders are threatening adults on the apps
Serial rapists and woman abusers are using dating apps like Tinder to lure in their victims, the NSW Police Commissioner fears.
Mick Fuller said he doesn’t have the proof to back-up his claims but stressed his concern about the accessible modern dating services.
‘It’s my fear that there may be serial rapists using dating sites but I don’t have the data and can’t get it at the moment so I don’t know if its true or false,’ he told The Daily Telegraph.
While hospitals report sexual assaults to police, it is up to the victims to determine if they want to pursue it further and be interviewed by detectives.
Serial rapists and woman abusers are using dating apps like Tinder to lure in their victims, the NSW Police Commissioner fears (stock image)
‘I totally understand and respect the privacy of victims if they don’t want to talk to us but my concern is we are missing opportunities to pick up trends in recidivism around adult sexual assaults like we do for robberies and just about all other crimes,’ he said.
Mr Fuller said the rapists could be targeting men and women every night but authorities may be unaware.
Mick Fuller said he doesn’t have the proof to back-up his claims but stressed his concern about the accessible modern dating services
There has now been a full-time position created and funding allocated for a project manager to work with NSW Health.
The goal is to find a method to collect information on the sexual assaults without impeding on the privacy of the victims.
Mr Fuller authorities want to build strategies on ‘unearthing online predators’, similarly to how they deal with child grooming.
‘We’ve all seen the grooming of young people that is occurring online. It would be stupid not to think there are adults in that same space looking for older victims,’ he said.
Mr Fuller said he wanted to find out if there are recidivist offenders who rape their victims after meeting at hotels or dating apps.
The project would look into whether online dating services impact on the public safety of men and women.
The past five years have seen the reported number of sexual assaults involving adults rise by six per cent.
The time period could potentially be linked to the boom in the use of dating apps.
Mr Fuller said the rapists could be targeting men and women every weekend night but authorities may be unaware (stock image)