Police search homes, seize electronic devices as they investigate alleged homophobic assaults of men on dating apps in Canberra

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Police have raided several properties as part of their investigation into alleged homophobic assaults in Canberra. Act policing say they've searched five homes and spoken to several young people over the past fortnight but have made no arrests.

Transcript

00:00Earlier this year, three men separately reported being lured by fake profiles on the dating

00:07app Grindr to two locations, a vacant home in Redhill and one in Denman Prospect.

00:13Each of them told police they were confronted by a group of men and assaulted.

00:17At the time, police said they were fairly certain the alleged attacks were homophobic

00:21and that the incidents were linked.

00:23They're yet to make any arrests, but today, police announced they've raided five homes

00:28in both the ACT and New South Wales and spoke to several young people, also seizing some

00:34electronic devices.

00:35The alleged attacks happened over the course of a week in July after the men connected

00:40with the deceptive profiles.

00:41A spokesperson for the US-based dating app has previously said it was in communication

00:46with ACT policing and it's worked with LGBTQI plus organisation Meridian to share in-app

00:53safety messages for users in the ACT.

00:56Police are continuing their investigation.

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