Canadian Man Raped and Robbed by Grindr Hook Up in Philadelphia

EDGE READ TIME: 2 MIN.

A Canadian man visiting Philadelphia got more than he expected when he logged onto Grinder, Wednesday. The expected tryst turned into a harrowing experience that included a sexual assault at gunpoint and $3,000 in theft, local ABC affiliate reports.

A 34-year-old man from Canada invited a man he met on the popular mobile gay hookup app, Grindr, around 1:30 P.M. on Wednesday and invited him to his hotel room inside the Hilton Home 2 Suites at 12th and Arch Streets.

Upon arrival, the suspect held the man at gunpoint and sexually assaulted him.

According to the police report, the suspect also forced the man to buy him four $500 Visa gift cards and took him to four separate ATMs where he made him withdraw $200.

The victim briefly subdued the suspect at a Walnut Street bar and was able to escape.

Images of the suspect were captured on surveillance cameras inside the bar.

"The whole thing was just a giant blur. I was scared and I kept thinking if I just do what he says, then he'll just go away," the victim told local NBC affiliate. "I was afraid to say anything. I was afraid of what was going to happen."

Wednesday's incident in Philadelphia isn't the first time Grindr has been used to turn gay men into crime victims. In December 2013, EDGE reported that three homeless men used Grindr to meet a 71-year-old man in Michigan before they allegedly robbed and killed him.

The suspect is described as a black male in his 20s with wavy hair and star tattoos on the back of his right hand. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Philadelphia Police Department at 215-686-TIPS or text a tip to PPD TIP (7733847) or through PhillyPolice.com.


by EDGE

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