Two men sentenced after robbing dating app users in Leeds and Bradford
The pair messaged users on the app Grindr, before arranging to meet them
Two people have been jailed after agreeing to meet users of the gay dating app Grindr in West Yorkshire, before robbing them or burgling their homes.
Villian Kesel, 20, of Buxton Street, Bradford was the leader of the group.
He will serve four and a half years in a young offenders institution after admitting to four counts of burglary and one count of robbery.
A second man, 22 year old Aribri Sinaj of Brougham Street, Burnley, will spend two years in jail for involvement in one of the burglaries.
The offences all happened between April and May 2024 in Bradford and Leeds.
The group arranged to meet men on the app, before either stealing items from their homes or demanding they hand over money.
During one incident a victim was forced into a car, before being told to transfer hundreds of pounds from his bank account.
Leading the investigation, Detective Constable Priscilla Haigh, of West Yorkshire Police, said:
“This has been a complex investigation and I want to praise the victims who have been extremely resilient throughout what has been a truly terrible ordeal for them all.
“I also want to thank them for their bravery in coming forward to report the offending so we could investigate it.
“I hope the sentences handed down go some way to helping them move forwards knowing these offenders have been brought to justice.”