Five Perth Teenagers Sentenced Over Homophobic Grindr Attacks

Five teenage boys have been sentenced in Perth Children’s Court following a series of horrifying attacks in which gay and bisexual men were lured via a fake Grindr profile, ambushed, severely assaulted, and robbed.

Warning: This article contains descriptions of homophobia and graphic violence and may be triggering from some readers.

The teenagers, aged 16 and 17 at the time, orchestrated their crimes by disguising themselves online with false identities and promises of sex.

Once victims arrived at remote meeting spots, the attackers,armed with knives, machetes, metal bars, pepper spray, and tasers carried out brutal assaults that left several men physically and emotionally scarred.

Teenagers sentenced for up two years over Grindr attacks

The Perth Children’s Court heard details of the attacks with details of how the men were lured via Grindr before they were attacked by the youths.

One victim, the court heard, was punched in the face and tasered before being stripped and chased into a swamp with a blade at his throat.

He lost teeth, passed out on the swamp’s bank, and later awoke naked. His wallet was stolen, and the assailants filmed the assault.

“They tried to force him to confess to being a paedophile on video,” the court was told.

Disturbingly, naked photographs were later circulated on social media.

In another attack in Hamilton Hill, up to eight masked youth, wielding kitchen knives smashed a victim’s windscreen, leaving him bleeding and confused in a stranger’s home.

Two more victims spoke of being chased into traffic and struck on the head with hard objects in South Lake.

One man suffered a head injury from what was described as “something hard” and lost consciousness. Video evidence shows him lying injured and a taser pressed against his genitals, though not discharged, before he reappeared at a service station without his wallet or phone.

In yet another incident in South Lake, a victim was surrounded by youths, beaten, and his vehicle stolen before two more youths pelted another man’s car with rocks.

Judge Wendy Hughes described these attacks as “planned and premeditated” acts of “fraud and deceit” committed against unarmed individuals.

She criticised the offenders’ age in contrast to their cruelty, stating, “It’s really difficult to believe that given your young ages that you would be so cruel to a human being.”

She warned that victims were left terrified, and one man had become “a shell of himself,” too fearful even to leave his home.

The five had pleaded guilty to charges including unlawful wounding, assault causing bodily harm, aggravated armed robbery, threats with intent, distribution of intimate images, and criminal damage.

Sentences were handed down on Wednesday to the youths with the longest term being two years and two months, and the remaining boys each receiving at least 18 months in juvenile detention.

Two additional co‑accused teenagers are still awaiting resolution of their cases; one has pleaded not guilty.

A lawyers for two of the boys claimed that they had intended to target paedophiles not homosexual men as part of the attacks and labelled the motivation of the boy as “misguided” this w

The prosecutor said a member of the public had made a report to police, after seeing a video on a boy’s Instagram account, showing a male being tasered on the penis.

The attacks represent part of a broader, troubling pattern across Australia that has seen many similar reports in the last two years.

In Victoria, more than 30 people were arrested in May for orchestrating similar violent assaults against gay men via dating apps, according to police.

In October 2024, Victoria Police arrested thirteen individuals, mostly teenagers, following luring and assault episodes across Melbourne, some filmed and marked by hateful homophobic taunts.

Canberra also reported two separate incidents in July 2024, where gay men were ambushed at vacant homes after being lured with fake Grindr profiles.

News of the arrests come amid warnings from advocates that more homophobic attacks are going unreported and are warning people may be too ashamed or distrustful of police to make reports.

In response to better assist the community in navigating and understanding online safety in the wake of this news, Thorne Harbour Health are holding a Grindr Community Forum in Melbourne this weekend.

The forum will cover topics that include, what’s been happening in our communities, the responses of the government police and community organisations as well as providing steps to help people keep themselves safe.

If you been a victim, if you know someone who has been targeted, if you have information about these incidents, or if you have information about similar attacks – please contact Crime Stoppers (1800 333 000 or via crimestopperswa.com.au).

If you feel distressed reading the story, please make sure to reach out to support services.

For 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention contact Lifeline online or call 13 11 14

For Australia-wide LGBTQIA+ peer support contact QLife online or call 1800 184 527.