Key Takeaways:
- Two burglars, Rahmat Khan Mohammadi and Mohammed Bilal Hotak, have been jailed for exploiting the dating app Grindr to deceive victims into granting them access to their homes.
- The pair targeted 16 individuals, stealing their mobile phones and money, and making online or contactless payments.
- Mohammadi received a five-year prison sentence, while Hotak was jailed for three and a half years.
- The judge highlighted the profound impact on victims, stating that they were targeted due to their perceived vulnerability, rather than their sexuality.
- The crimes were committed between October 2024 and March 2025, with the pair using a Grindr profile to arrange meetings with their victims.
Introduction to the Crimes
Two burglars have been jailed after exploiting the dating app Grindr to deceive victims into granting them access to their homes, subsequently stealing their mobile phones and money. Rahmat Khan Mohammadi, 23, and Mohammed Bilal Hotak, 27, orchestrated meetings at their targets’ London properties, then persuaded them to reveal their phone passwords under the guise of playing music on YouTube. The Afghan refugees would then abscond with the devices, swiftly exiting the premises before making online or contactless payments, and in some instances, transferring funds directly to themselves.
The Crime Spree
Mohammadi targeted 11 individuals during a five-month crime spree between October 24, 2024, and March 24, 2025, while Hotak committed multiple offences between October 24, 2024, and December 23, 2024. The pair used a Grindr profile to arrange meetings with their victims, typically without a photograph. When victims requested an image, a picture of someone else would be sent. Meetings were arranged, with Mohammadi often bringing Hotak along as a ‘friend’. Once inside, they would ask the victim to play music, usually on YouTube, as this prevented the phone from being locked.
The Modus Operandi
A distraction tactic would then be employed, with excuses such as needing to shower before sex, making a drink, or being shown to the toilet, prompting the victim to leave the room. "In all the cases, when the victim returned to the main room you had left, or one or the other of you had left, and the victim found the mobile phone was missing," the judge noted. The pair would then use the stolen phones to make online or contactless payments, and in some instances, transfer funds directly to themselves. The victims were left feeling violated and traumatized, with the judge highlighting the profound impact on them.
The Sentencing
At Isleworth Crown Court on Monday, Mohammadi received a five-year prison sentence, with Hotak jailed for three and a half years. Sentencing the pair, Judge Adenike Balogun highlighted the profound impact on victims, stating: "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." The judge clarified that the victims were not chosen out of "hostility" towards their sexuality, but rather because Grindr, as an app facilitating gay hook-ups, offered "an opportunity to gain easy access into the homes of the victims."
The Motivation Behind the Crimes
Prosecutor David Patience had contended that the victims were targeted due to their sexuality, suggesting the offences could be considered hate crimes. However, the judge clarified her position: "I’ve considered that matter very carefully and it seems to me that the presumed sexual orientation of the victims presented an opportunity for you to commit the crime, and in that respect I do find that the victims… were targeted because of their perceived vulnerability." The judge added that she suspected the pair were "banking on the victims not reporting the crime."
The Convictions
Mohammadi, of Weald Lane in Harrow, north-west London, was found guilty by a jury of 10 counts of burgling a dwelling, nine of fraud by false representation, and one of theft. Hotak, of Richmond Road in Hackney, east London, was convicted of five counts of burgling a dwelling, five of fraud by false representation, and one of theft. The pair’s convictions serve as a warning to others who may seek to exploit vulnerable individuals through dating apps, and highlight the importance of being cautious when meeting strangers online.
