Dating app crime
Good morning
I would like to make a request under the Freedom of Information Act.
I would like to request that a free text search (or equivalent) of your crime database is carried out. To help improve accuracy, I would be grateful if such a search could be narrowed to reports of the following offences:
(i) Rape (contrary to the Sexual Offences Act 2003)
(ii) Sexual Assault (contrary to the Sexual Offences Act 2003)
(iii) Assault by penetration (contrary to the Sexual Offences Act 2003)
(iv) Causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent (contrary to the Sexual Offences Act 2003)
(v) Administering a substance with intent (contrary to the Sexual Offences Act 2003)
(vi) Harassment (contrary to the Protection from Harassment Act 1997)
(vii) Stalking (contrary to the Protection from Harassment Act 1997)
For the above specified offences, I would like to request the following free text searches (or equivalent) is carried out of your crime database for the following terms:
(i) "Tinder"
(ii) "Bumble"
(iii) "Hinge"
(iv) "Grindr"
(v) "Dating app"
Following a search in the parameters specified, please (i) identify the number of offence records containing the above phrases between January 1 2017 and November 1 2022 (ii) provide a breakdown of the different offences recorded that included the above search terms, (iii) provide a breakdown of the different offences recorded that included the above search terms by calendar year, (iv) provide an outcome for each investigation, broken down by offence and year.
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Thanks very much
Jack Graham
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Dear Jack Graham
FOI Request Reference: 1498A/22
Thank you for your request for information, received 8th November 2022
REQUEST
I would like to request that a free text search (or equivalent) of your crime database is carried out. To help improve accuracy, I would be grateful if such a search could be narrowed to reports of the following offences:
(i) Rape (contrary to the Sexual Offences Act 2003)
(ii) Sexual Assault (contrary to the Sexual Offences Act 2003)
(iii) Assault by penetration (contrary to the Sexual Offences Act 2003)
(iv) Causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent (contrary to the Sexual Offences Act 2003)
(v) Administering a substance with intent (contrary to the Sexual Offences Act 2003)
(vi) Harassment (contrary to the Protection from Harassment Act 1997)
(vii) Stalking (contrary to the Protection from Harassment Act 1997)
For the above specified offences, I would like to request the following free text searches (or equivalent) is carried out of your crime database for the following terms:
(i) "Tinder"
(ii) "Bumble"
(iii) "Hinge"
(iv) "Grindr"
(v) "Dating app"
Following a search in the parameters specified, please (i) identify the number of offence records containing the above phrases between January 1 2017 and November 1 2022 (ii) provide a breakdown of the different offences recorded that included the above search terms, (iii) provide a breakdown of the different offences recorded that included the above search terms by calendar year, (iv) provide an outcome for each investigation, broken down by offence and year.
CLARIFICATION REQUIRED
I am writing to ask you to clarify your request.
Your request is very broad and it is not clear which documents or information would satisfy your query. Therefore it would be helpful if you could be more specific.
In relation to :
(i) Rape (contrary to the Sexual Offences Act 2003)
(ii) Sexual Assault (contrary to the Sexual Offences Act 2003)
(iii) Assault by penetration (contrary to the Sexual Offences Act 2003)
(iv) Causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent (contrary to the Sexual Offences Act 2003)
(v) Administering a substance with intent (contrary to the Sexual Offences Act 2003)
(vi) Harassment (contrary to the Protection from Harassment Act 1997)
(vii) Stalking (contrary to the Protection from Harassment Act 1997)
Rape is very generic, below is a list of rape offences. Do you want them all?
Aid / abet / counsel / procure the rape of a female 13 / 14 / 15 years of ageCurrent
Aid / abet rape of a female under 16 years of age or overHistoric
Aid / abet the rape a woman 16 years of age or over - SOA 2003Current
Aid abet the rape a girl under 13 by a maleCurrent
Aid abet the rape a male child under 13 by a maleCurrent
Assault a boy under 13 years of age by penetration with a part of your body / a thingCurrent
Assault a girl under 13 by penetration with a part of your body / a thing - SOA 2003Current
Attempt rape of a boy under the age of 13 - SOA 2003Current
Attempt rape of a girl under 13 - SOA 2003Current
Attempt to cause / incite a boy aged 13 to 15 to engage in a penetrative sexual activity - offender aged under 18Current
Attempt to cause / incite a boy aged under 13 to engage in a penetrative sexual activity - offender aged under 18Current
Attempt to cause / incite a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in a penetrative sexual activity - offender aged under 18Current
Attempt to cause / incite a girl aged under 13 to engage in a penetrative sexual activity - offender aged under 18Current
Attempt to cause a male aged 13 or over to engage in a penetrative sexual activityCurrent
Attempt to engage in a penetrative sexual activity with a boy aged 13 to 15 - offender aged 18 or overCurrent
Attempt to engage in a penetrative sexual activity with a boy aged 13 to 15 - offender aged under 18Current
Attempt to engage in a penetrative sexual activity with a girl aged 13 to 15 - offender aged under 18Current
Attempt to engage in a penetrative sexual activity with a girl under 13 - offender 18 or overCurrent
Attempt to engage in a penetrative sexual activity with a girl under 13 - offender under 18Current
Attempt to engage in a penetrative sexual activity with boy under 13 - offender 18 or overCurrent
Attempt to rape a boy aged 13 / 14 / 15 - SOA 2003Current
Attempt to rape a girl aged 13 / 14 / 15 years of age - SOA 2003Current
Attempt to rape a man aged 16 or over - SOA 2003Current
Attempt to rape a woman 16 or over - SOA 2003Current
Attempt to sexually assault a boy under 13 - penetrationCurrent
Attempt to sexually assault by penetration a female aged 13 and overCurrent
Attempt to sexually assault by penetration a male aged 13 or overCurrent
C
Cause / incite a boy 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity - offender 18 or over - penetrationCurrent
Cause / incite a female child under 13 to engage in sexual activity - offender 18 or over - penetrationCurrent
Cause / incite a girl 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity - offender 18 or over - penetrationCurrent
Cause / incite a male child under 13 to engage in sexual activity - offender 18 or over - penetrationCurrent
Cause a male 13 or over to engage in a penetrative sexual activity - SOA 2003Current
Conspire to cause / incite a boy aged 13 to 15 to engage in a penetrative sexual activity - offender aged 18 or overCurrent
Conspire to cause / incite a boy aged under 13 to engage in a penetrative sexual activity - offender aged 18 or overCurrent
Conspire to cause / incite a boy under 13 to engage in a penetrative sexual activityCurrent
Conspire to cause / incite a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in a penetrative sexual activity - offender aged 18 or overCurrent
Conspire to cause / incite a girl aged under 13 to engage in a penetrative sexual activity - offender aged 18 or overCurrent
Conspire to cause / incite a girl under 13 to engage in a penetrative sexual activityCurrent
Conspire to cause a male aged 13 or over to engage in a penetrative sexual activityCurrent
Conspire to engage in a penetrative sexual activity with a boy under 13 - offender 18 or overCurrent
Conspire to engage in a penetrative sexual activity with a girl under 13 - offender 18 or overCurrent
Conspire to engage in penetrative sexual activity with a boy aged 13 to 15 - offender aged 18 yrs or overCurrent
Conspire to engage in penetrative sexual activity with a girl 13 to 15 - offender 18 yrs or overCurrent
Conspire to rape a boy 13 / 14 / 15 years of ageCurrent
Conspire to rape a boy under 13Current
Conspire to rape a girl under 13Current
Conspire to rape a male 16 years of age or overCurrent
O
Offender 18 or over engage in penetrative sexual activity with girl under 13 - SOA 2003Current
Offender of any age cause / incite a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity - penetrationCurrent
Offender of any age cause / incite a boy under 13 to engage in sexual activity - no penetration - SOA 2003Current
Offender of any age cause / incite a boy under 13 to engage in sexual activity - penetration - SOA 2003Current
Offender under 18 engage in penetrative sexual activity with boy under 13 - SOA 2003Current
R
Rape a boy aged 13 / 14 / 15 years of age - SOA 2003Current
Rape a girl aged 13 / 14 / 15 - SOA 2003Current
Rape a girl under 13Current
Rape a man 16 or over - SOA 2003Current
Rape a woman 16 years of age or over - SOA 2003Current
Rape of a boy under 13 - SOA 2003Current
S
Sex offences - abuse position of trust - engage in sexual activityHistoric
Sex offences - abuse position of trust - have sexual intercourseHistoric
Similarly sexual assault is also very broad:
Rape (s.1)
Assault by penetration (s.2)
Sexual assault (s.3)
Causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent (s.4)
Rape of a child under 13 (s.5)
Assault of a child under 13 by penetration (s.6)
Sexual assault of a child under 13 (s.7)
Causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity (s.8)
Sexual activity with a child (s.9)
Causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity (s.10)
Engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child (s.11)
Causing a child to watch a sexual act (s.12)
Child sex offences committed by children or young persons (s.13)
Arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence (s.14)
Meeting a child following sexual grooming etc. (s.15)
Abuse of position of trust: sexual activity with a child (s.16)
Abuse of position of trust: causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity (s.17)
Abuse of position of trust: sexual activity in the presence of a child (s.18)
Abuse of position of trust: causing a child to watch a sexual act (s.19)
Sexual activity with a child family member (s.25)
Inciting a child family member to engage in sexual activity (s.26)
Sexual activity with a person with a mental disorder impeding choice (s.30)
Causing or inciting a person, with a mental disorder impeding choice, to engage in sexual activity (s.31)
Engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a person with a mental disorder impeding choice (s.32)
Causing a person, with a mental disorder impeding choice, to watch a sexual act (s.33)
Inducement, threat or deception to procure sexual activity with a person with a mental disorder (s.34)
Causing a person with a mental disorder to engage in or agree to engage in sexual activity by inducement, threat or deception (s.35)
Engaging in sexual activity in the presence, procured by inducement, threat or deception, of a person with a mental disorder (s.36)
Causing a person with a mental disorder to watch a sexual act by inducement, threat or deception (s.37)
Care workers: sexual activity with a person with a mental disorder (s.38)
Care workers: causing or inciting sexual activity (s.39)
Care workers: sexual activity in the presence of a person with a mental disorder (s.40)
Care workers: causing a person with a mental disorder to watch a sexual act (s.41)
Paying for sexual services of a child (s.47)
Causing or inciting child prostitution or pornography (s.48)
Controlling a child prostitute or a child involved in pornography (s.49)
Arranging or facilitating child prostitution or pornography (s.50)
Causing or inciting prostitution for gain (s.52)
Controlling prostitution for gain (s.53)
Trafficking into the UK for sexual exploitation (s.57)
Trafficking within the UK for sexual exploitation (s.58)
Trafficking out of the UK for sexual exploitation (s.59)
Administering a substance with intent (s.61)
Committing an offence with intent to commit a sexual offence (s.62)
Trespass with intent to commit a sexual offence (s.63)
Sex with an adult relative: penetration (s.64)
Sex with an adult relative: consenting to penetration (s.65)
Exposure (s.66)
Voyeurism (s.67)
Intercourse with an animal (s.69)
Sexual penetration of a corpse (s.70)
Sexual activity in a public lavatory (s.71)
There would be duplication also as:
(i) (iv) (vii) (v) above is covered in (ii)
(vi) (Vii) above may also duplicate each other
To conclude, please list the SPECIFIC offences with home office codes that you require the free text search to cover. For example do you want all rapes?
Rape Home office counting rules / codes are:
19C Rape of a Female aged 16 and over
19D Rape of a Female Child under 16
19E Rape of a Female Child under 13
19F Rape of a Male aged 16 and over
19G Rape of a Male Child under 16
19H Rape of a Male Child under 13
19J Rape of a Female – Multiple Undefined
Offenders
19K Rape of a Male – Multiple Undefined Offender
Sexual assault:
17A Sexual Assault on a Male aged 13 and over
17B Sexual Assault on a Male Child under 13
20A Sexual Assault on a Female aged 13 and over
20B Sexual Assault on a Female Child under 13
21 Sexual Activity involving a Child under 13
22A Causing Sexual Activity without Consent
22B Sexual Activity involving a Child under 16
23 Incest or Familial Sexual Offences
70 Sexual Activity etc with a Person with a Mental
Disorder
71 Abuse of Children through Sexual Exploitation
73 Abuse of Position of Trust of a Sexual Nature
88A Sexual Grooming
88C Other Miscellaneous Sexual Offence
88D Unnatural Sexual Offences
88E Exposure and Voyeurism
Harassment / stalking:
8L Harassment
8M Racially or Religiously Aggravated Harassment
8Q Stalking
8R Malicious Communications
8U Controlling or Coercive Behaviour
To enable us to proceed with your request I would be grateful if you could provide the clarification outlined above within 40 working days of this correspondence. After receiving your reply, your request will be considered and you will receive a response within the statutory timescale of 20 working days, as defined by the Act, subject to the application of any statutory exemptions. If you choose not to respond then your request will be closed.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
For further information and data on West Midlands Police see our publication scheme and disclosure log
http://foi.west-midlands.police.uk/
If you need any further information please contact me.
Yours sincerely,
Susan Goddard| Freedom of Information Officer
Corporate Communications | West Midlands Police
T: 101 (ext. 801 2068)
Preventing crime, protecting the public and helping those in need.
If it’s not 999, search WMP Online
Dear Susan
Thanks for your email.
In relation to rape, could I request you search the below offences:
Rape a man 16 or over - SOA 2003Current
Rape a woman 16 years of age or over - SOA 2003Current
Attempt to rape a man aged 16 or over - SOA 2003Current
Attempt to rape a woman 16 or over - SOA 2003Current
Attempt to sexually assault by penetration a female aged 13 and overCurrent
Attempt to sexually assault by penetration a male aged 13 or overCurrent
In relation to sexual assault, the below offences:
Rape (s.1)
Assault by penetration (s.2)
Sexual assault (s.3)
Causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent (s.4)
Administering a substance with intent (s.61)
In terms of the Home Office codes, please could you search the below:
Rape:
19C Rape of a Female aged 16 and over
19F Rape of a Male aged 16 and over
19J Rape of a Female – Multiple Undefined
Offenders
19K Rape of a Male – Multiple Undefined Offender
Sexual assault:
17A Sexual Assault on a Male aged 13 and over
20A Sexual Assault on a Female aged 13 and over
22A Causing Sexual Activity without Consent
88C Other Miscellaneous Sexual Offence
Harassment / stalking:
8L Harassment
8Q Stalking
8R Malicious Communications
8U Controlling or Coercive Behaviour
I think that covers everything but please let me know if you need further information.
Thanks
Jack Graham
I write in connection with FOI response ref 1498A/22 that was sent to you
on 16^th November 2022
Please be advised that, unfortunately, it has been brought to our
attention that this was an erroneous disclosure.
Please do not use this data.
Please delete this data.
Please do not forward or share this data.
Please find enclosed the correct data.
Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused.
Susan Goddard| Freedom of Information Officer
Corporate Communications | West Midlands Police
T: 101 (ext. 801 2068)
Preventing crime, protecting the public and helping those in need.
[1]If it’s not 999, search WMP Online
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From: Freedom of Information
Sent: 16 November 2022 10:35
To: Jack Graham <[FOI #914864 email]>
Subject: Freedom of information response 1498A/22 West Midlands Police
Dear Jack Graham
FOI Request Reference: 1498A/22
Thank you for your request for information, received 8/11/2022.
REQUEST
I would like to request that a free text search (or equivalent) of your
crime database is carried out. To help improve accuracy, I would be
grateful if such a search could be narrowed to reports of the following
offences:
(i) Rape (contrary to the Sexual Offences Act 2003)
(ii) Sexual Assault (contrary to the Sexual Offences Act 2003)
(iii) Assault by penetration (contrary to the Sexual Offences Act 2003)
(iv) Causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent
(contrary to the Sexual Offences Act 2003)
(v) Administering a substance with intent (contrary to the Sexual Offences
Act 2003)
(vi) Harassment (contrary to the Protection from Harassment Act 1997)
(vii) Stalking (contrary to the Protection from Harassment Act 1997)
For the above specified offences, I would like to request the following
free text searches (or equivalent) is carried out of your crime database
for the following terms:
(i) "Tinder"
(ii) "Bumble"
(iii) "Hinge"
(iv) "Grindr"
(v) "Dating app"
Following a search in the parameters specified, please (i) identify the
number of offence records containing the above phrases between January 1
2017 and November 1 2022 (ii) provide a breakdown of the different
offences recorded that included the above search terms, (iii) provide a
breakdown of the different offences recorded that included the above
search terms by calendar year, (iv) provide an outcome for each
investigation, broken down by offence and year.
We clarified with you on 10/11/2022 and you replied on 11/11/2022:
I would like to request that a free text search (or equivalent) of your
crime database is carried out. To help improve accuracy, I would be
grateful if such a search could be narrowed to reports of the following
offences:
Rape:
19C Rape of a Female aged 16 and over
19F Rape of a Male aged 16 and over
19J Rape of a Female – Multiple Undefined
Offenders
19K Rape of a Male – Multiple Undefined Offender
Sexual assault:
17A Sexual Assault on a Male aged 13 and over
20A Sexual Assault on a Female aged 13 and over
22A Causing Sexual Activity without Consent
88C Other Miscellaneous Sexual Offence
Harassment / stalking:
8L Harassment
8Q Stalking
8R Malicious Communications
8U Controlling or Coercive Behaviour
For the above specified offences, I would like to request the following
free text searches (or equivalent) is carried out of your crime database
for the following terms:
(i) "Tinder"
(ii) "Bumble"
(iii) "Hinge"
(iv) "Grindr"
(v) "Dating app"
Following a search in the parameters specified, please
(i) identify the number of offence records containing the
above phrases between January 1 2017 and November 1 2022
(ii) provide a breakdown of the different offences recorded
that included the above search terms,
(iii) provide a breakdown of the different offences recorded
that included the above search terms by calendar year,
(iv) provide an outcome for each investigation, broken down by
offence and year.
RESPONSE
Please find attached (1498A 22 attachment) our response.
Please note:
Keyword searches are notoriously unreliable, the reasons why searches
using this method are not reliable include (but are not limited to) the
following: -
a) Searches rely on the keywords being spelt correctly with no grammatical
errors
b) Searches rely on the keywords actually being mentioned in the summary
description of the record – if they are mentioned anywhere else within the
record but not in the summary, then they will not feature in any results
Please note that these data should be interpreted with caution. Comparing
numbers of incidents/crimes can be misleading and does not necessarily
indicate the likelihood of someone being a victim of crime. In addition,
the number of incidents/crimes recorded in an area over a period of time
can be influenced by a number of factors. Consequently, statistics on
incidents/crimes for one period may not necessarily be a good indicator of
future incidents in that area.
Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and
complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been
extracted from a number of data sources used by forces for police
purposes. The detail collected to respond specifically to your request is
subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system.
As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes
and their inevitable limitations are considered when interpreting those
data.
The figures provided therefore are our best interpretation of relevance of
data to your request, but you should be aware that the collation of
figures for ad hoc requests may have limitations and this should be
considered when those data are used.
If you decide to write an article / use the enclosed data we would ask you
to take into consideration the factors highlighted in this document so as
to not mislead members of the public or official bodies, or misrepresent
the relevance of the whole or any part of this disclosed material.
As recommended as good practice by the Information Commissioner’s Office a
version of this response may be published on the West Midlands Police
website.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
For further information and data on West Midlands Police see our
publication scheme and disclosure log
[6]http://foi.west-midlands.police.uk/
RIGHT OF APPEAL
Your attention is drawn to your right to request a re-examination of your
case under West Midlands Police review procedure, which can be found at:
[7]http://foi.west-midlands.police.uk/revie...
Please note that such an appeal must be received within 40 working days of
the date of this correspondence. Any such request received after this time
will only be considered at the discretion of the FOI Unit.
If you require any further information, then please do not hesitate to
contact me.
Yours sincerely,
Susan Goddard| Freedom of Information Officer
Corporate Communications | West Midlands Police
T: 101 (ext. 801 2068)
Preventing crime, protecting the public and helping those in need.
[8]If it’s not 999, search WMP Online
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