"I have taken note of the psychological trauma as well as the inconvenience caused to the victims, and the distress that all of them have expressed at allowing you into their homes into their private space only to be violated."
"I've considered that matter very carefully and it seems to me that the presumed sexual orientation of the victims presented an opportunity for you to commit the crime, and in that respect I do find that the victims were targeted because of their perceived vulnerability."
Rahmat Khan Mohammadi, 23, and Mohammed Bilal Hotak, 27, used the dating app Grindr to arrange meetings at victims' London homes and trick them into revealing phone passwords under the pretext of playing music on YouTube. They stole mobile phones and cash, then quickly left and used contactless or online payments, sometimes transferring funds to themselves. Mohammadi targeted 11 victims between 24 October 2024 and 24 March 2025; Hotak committed multiple offences between 24 October 2024 and 23 December 2024. Mohammadi received five years' imprisonment and Hotak three and a half years. Sentencing recognised victims' psychological trauma, inconvenience and distress, and found targeting was due to perceived vulnerability rather than hostility toward sexuality.
Read at www.independent.co.uk
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