FOI 1039-2024/25- Dating app crimes
Request:
Q1. How many reports of offences linked to online dating apps where the victim is any other gender then female (e.g. male, non-binary or other) did you receive in the past four calendar years (1st January 2021 - when this request was processed) in your force's area. For this request, I define 'linked to online dating apps' as cases where the use of an online dating platform (e.g., Grindr, Hinge, Tinder, or Bumble) is mentioned in the report or flagged as relevant in the investigation.
Q1a. Please break down the data by year.
Q1b. Please break down the data by the following offence groups:
Sexual offences
Theft offences
Violence against the person
Robbery
Q1c. Please break down the data further down by the specific offence within each offence group
Q1d. Please also indicate what dating app was mentioned in the report, namely if it was the LGBTQ+ dating app "Grindr" or "Hinge", "Bumble" or "Tinder".
Response:
Extent and Result of Searches to Locate Information
To locate the information relevant to your request searches were conducted within North Yorkshire Police.
I can confirm that the information you have requested is held by North Yorkshire Police.
Decision
I have today decided to disclose the following information to you.
Q1, Q1a & Q1d. Please see the table below showing the total number of crimes recorded where the victim is any other gender other than female, that mention the requested online dating platforms in the MO, broken down by calendar year and dating platform.
|
Calendar Years |
||||||
|
Dating Platform |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
Total |
|
Bumble |
0 |
0 |
4 |
3 |
0 |
7 |
|
Grindr |
3 |
3 |
1 |
8 |
2 |
17 |
|
Hinge |
31 |
42 |
31 |
34 |
7 |
145 |
|
Tinder |
11 |
10 |
15 |
14 |
4 |
54 |
|
Total |
45 |
55 |
51 |
59 |
13 |
223 |
Q1b. Please see the table below showing the total number of crimes recorded where the victim is any other gender other than female, that mention the requested online dating platforms in the MO, broken down by calendar year and crime type.
|
Calendar Year |
||||||
|
Crime Type |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
Total |
|
Arson & Criminal Damage |
11 |
11 |
12 |
8 |
3 |
45 |
|
Burglary |
12 |
17 |
5 |
10 |
4 |
48 |
|
Fraud |
3 |
2 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
8 |
|
Public Order Offences |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
Sexual Offences |
1 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
4 |
|
Theft: All Other Theft |
13 |
17 |
27 |
27 |
5 |
89 |
|
Vehicle Offences |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
|
Violence Against The Person |
4 |
7 |
6 |
8 |
1 |
26 |
|
Total |
45 |
55 |
51 |
59 |
13 |
223 |
Q1c. Please see the table below showing the total number of crimes recorded where the victim is any other gender other than female, that mention the requested online dating platforms in the MO, broken down by calendar year and crime type. Due to low numbers I am exempting the yearly breakdown of some crimes and replaced some figures below 5 with <5 pursuant to Section 40(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act). Please see the exemption explanation below.
|
Calendar Year |
||||||
|
Crime Type |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
Total |
|
Aggravated Burglary – Residential |
Exempt S40(2) |
1 |
||||
|
Aggravated Burglary - Residential - Home |
Exempt S40(2) |
1 |
||||
|
Assault With Injury |
Exempt S40(2) |
2 |
||||
|
Assault With Intent To Cause Serious Harm |
Exempt S40(2) |
1 |
||||
|
Assault Without Injury |
<5 |
<5 |
5 |
<5 |
<5 |
12 |
|
Attempted Burglary – Business And Community |
Exempt S40(2) |
1 |
||||
|
Attempted Burglary – Residential |
<5 |
5 |
<5 |
<5 |
<5 |
7 |
|
Attempted Murder |
Exempt S40(2) |
1 |
||||
|
Blackmail |
11 |
15 |
27 |
27 |
5 |
85 |
|
Burglary – Business And Community |
6 |
<5 |
<5 |
5 |
<5 |
17 |
|
Burglary - Residential |
5 |
6 |
<5 |
<5 |
<5 |
12 |
|
Burglary - Residential - Home |
Exempt S40(2) |
4 |
||||
|
Burglary - Residential - Unconnected Building |
Exempt S40(2) |
5 |
||||
|
Criminal Damage To A Building Other Than A Dwelling |
Exempt S40(2) |
4 |
||||
|
Criminal Damage To A Dwelling |
9 |
<5 |
6 |
6 |
<5 |
28 |
|
Criminal Damage To A Vehicle |
Exempt S40(2) |
1 |
||||
|
Harassment |
Exempt S40(2) |
3 |
||||
|
Malicious Communications |
Exempt S40(2) |
4 |
||||
|
Nfib Fraud (for Recording Purposes Only) |
Exempt S40(2) |
8 |
||||
|
Other Criminal Damage |
<5 |
6 |
<5 |
<5 |
<5 |
12 |
|
Other Theft |
Exempt S40(2) |
4 |
||||
|
Public Fear, Alarm Or Distress |
Exempt S40(2) |
1 |
||||
|
Rape Of A Male Aged 16 And Over |
Exempt S40(2) |
1 |
||||
|
Sexual Activity Involving Child Under 16 |
Exempt S40(2) |
1 |
||||
|
Sexual Assault On A Female Aged 13 And Over |
Exempt S40(2) |
1 |
||||
|
Sexual Assault On A Male Aged 13 And Over |
Exempt S40(2) |
1 |
||||
|
Stalking |
Exempt S40(2) |
3 |
||||
|
Theft From Vehicle |
Exempt S40(2) |
2 |
||||
|
Total |
45 |
55 |
51 |
59 |
13 |
223 |
Exemption Explanation
Section 40 – Personal Information
Where an individual can be identified by such data, releasing it would clearly breach the first data protection principle of being ‘fair’ to the data subject.
Section 17 of the Act requires North Yorkshire Police, when refusing to provide such information (because the information is exempt) to provide you the applicant with a notice which: (a) states that fact, (b) specifies the exemption in question and (c) states (if that would not otherwise be apparent) why the exemption applies.
Section 40(2) is an absolute class based exemption, which does not require a public interest test, but requires the balancing of the legitimate interests of the public against the interests of the individual under the first Data Protection Principle; in that processing of personal data must be lawful and fair (DPA 2018 35(1), EUGDPR Article 5(1)).
This exemption applies because the right given under the FOI Act to request official information held by public authorities does not apply to the personal data of third parties where disclosure of that information would not be fair to the individual, and where there is no legitimate public interest in disclosure.
In all the circumstances of the case it has been determined that the duty to the individual under the Data Protection Act 2018 & EU General Data Protection Regulations, and the public interest in maintaining the exemption from disclosure of personal information held by the force in such instances, outweighs the public interest in disclosure. In this instance, personal information can only be disclosed to the individual concerned.
Releasing personal details to a person other than the data subject would not only breach the data subject’s Data Protection rights it may also breach the obligations placed on an authority under the European Convention on Human Rights
Pursuant to Section 17(1) of the Act this letter acts as a refusal notice under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in relation to your request.
Please note that systems used for recording information are not generic, nor are the procedures used locally in capturing the data. It should be noted therefore that this force’s response to your questions should not be used for comparison purposes with any other responses you may receive.