Two Sydney men have been sentenced to more than six years for robbing five men they arranged to meet through the dating app Grindr.
The convictions come amid a spate of alleged attacks on gay and bisexual men after being lured on dating apps across several states and territories in Australia in the past year.
Andrew James Tanswell, 41, was this week sentenced to prison for six years and eight months, with a non-parole period of five years, while George Phoenix Leilua, 37, received six years and two months, with a non-parole period of four years. The pair were convicted over five robberies of men in 2023.
In sentencing, the New South Wales district court judge, Andrew Colefax, found the two men had set up Grindr accounts and arranged to meet men under false pretences.
In the first robbery, on 29 May 2023, Tanswell arranged to meet a 57-year-old man at his Guildford home. After “trickery”, the court found Tanswell distracted the victim while allowing Leilua into the house.
After threatening the him, the men stole the man’s wallet and mobile phone. They made him disclose his password and login details to his banking app, and the pair then withdrew and split $2,000.
The second robbery, on the same day, targeted a 60-year-old Auburn man. The pair used a similar ploy to enter the home, after which they stole more than $15,000 from his bank account.
In a third robbery, on 4 June 2023, they stole a 66-year-old Granville man’s mobile phone, $160 in cash, various identity documents and his Medicare card. The victim sustained injuries to his hands, arms and legs in the attack.
The fourth attack, on 12 June 2023, targeted a 27-year-old Guildford man, and followed a similar pattern. After he resisted handing over his phone, Leilua threatened him with a kitchen knife until he yielded. He also relinquished his banking app passcodes, and $128 was transferred out of his account.
The fifth targeted a 45-year-old Liverpool man, who was forced to hand over two mobile phones and had $5,000 taken from his bank account.
Leilua was arrested on 15 June 2023, and Tanswell was apprehend the next day. Both men pleaded guilty.
Colefax said each victim suffered “significant psychological consequences” from the attacks.
Earlier this month, the ABC reported that 35 people had been arrested in Victoria for using fake dating app profiles to rob gay men, up from 13 late last year.
Grindr has shown in-app alerts warning users about attacks in the past few months.
A spokesperson for Grindr said bad actors may attempt to misuse its services and put users at risk, similar to any service, but the company worked hard to ensure “a safe and authentic environment free of harmful and fake accounts”.
The company said that in periods of increased threats to users, it partnered with local law enforcement, government agencies and LGBTQ+ organisations to provide in-app warning alerts.
