Tinder and Grindr dating apps linked to more than 500 crimes including murder, rape and child abuse

[link to www.mirror.co.uk]

lmost a third of these were sexual offences including rape, child abuse and grooming.

It comes after serial killer Stephen Port was jailed last month for the murders of four young men, including Daniel Whitworth, he met on gay websites and apps including Grindr.

Lib Dem leader Tim Farron warned: “I worry that these shocking figures could just be the tip of the iceberg.”

Data compiled by almost three-quarters of police forces across England and Wales listed 523 crimes from the past five years where official logs included the words Tinder or Grindr.


Serial killer Stephen Port met his victims on gay websites and apps including Grindr (Photo: PA)

Tinder launched as a smartphone app in 2012 and Grindr, used largely by gay and bisexual men, in 2009.

Among the highest incidences of crime linked to them, 98 were recorded by the Met Police, 58 in Greater Manchester and 49 in Merseyside.