Two Afghan asylum seekers have been sentenced to prison for orchestrating a months-long campaign of theft, burglary, and fraud targeting gay men they met through the dating app Grindr, following a complex investigation by London’s Metropolitan Police. The case, which has sent shockwaves through London’s LGBT+ community, highlights both the risks of digital dating and the resilience of victims who came forward despite fears of stigma and further trauma.
On Monday, December 22, 2025, at Isleworth Crown Court, Rahmat Khan Mohammadi, 23, received a five-year prison sentence, while his accomplice, Mohammad Bilal Hotak, 27, was sentenced to three and a half years behind bars. Both men, Afghan nationals and recent asylum seekers, were convicted of a series of calculated offenses that spanned from October 2024 to March 2025 and left more than 20 victims reeling from psychological and financial harm, according to Sky News and the Metropolitan Police Service.
The court heard that Mohammadi and Hotak created fake profiles on Grindr, often using stolen or generic photos—or none at all. They would initiate contact with men across London, arranging to meet at the victims’ homes under the guise of a date. Once inside, the duo deployed a range of distraction tactics. A favored method involved asking to play music on YouTube, persuading the victims to unlock their phones, which they then used to access sensitive information. Sometimes, one would distract the victim—by taking a shower, making a drink, or requesting to be shown the bathroom—while the other stole the phone and any other valuables in sight, including wallets, passports, and watches.
Other times, the deception took an even more sinister turn. As Sky News reported, one victim described being led into a dark, wet park late at night, encouraged to undress, and then robbed of his phone. He later called the experience "invasive and degrading," saying it left him fearful of meeting people online. Another victim lamented the loss of irreplaceable photos of deceased family members, describing the emotional fallout as "severe psychological trauma." In all, the crimes left a trail of social distrust, financial hardship, and long-lasting psychological scars.
According to court documents and police statements, the pair’s spree was both brazen and extensive. Between October 2024 and March 2025, Mohammadi was linked to at least 11 victims, while Hotak participated in several of the targeted burglaries and frauds. The Metropolitan Police Service ultimately connected the men to a total of 35 burglaries and 20 related frauds, impacting 22 known victims across the city. Prosecutors said the duo exploited Grindr’s anonymity, with defense attorney John Kearney arguing that the app “enabled completely anonymous people to be invited as complete strangers into the homes of the victims.”
Superintendent Owen Renowden, the Met’s Hate Crime Lead, condemned the actions of the two men in a statement published by the Metropolitan Police Service: “Mohammadi and Hotak carried out a series of callous, calculated, pre-planned crimes across London, targeting men and stealing high-value items and money. Their actions had a devastating impact on their victims. Nobody should be made to feel unsafe in their own homes and they will have to live with the trauma these men have caused them.”
The investigation that brought Mohammadi and Hotak to justice was as painstaking as the crimes were audacious. The Met’s Specialist Crime Command launched their inquiry in March 2025 after officers across several London boroughs noticed a pattern: a spate of phone thefts with Grindr as the common link. Detectives pored over hundreds of hours of CCTV footage, reviewed automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) data to trace getaway vehicles, and analyzed thousands of phone records and text messages. This meticulous work not only connected the dots between the two men, but also allowed police to reopen and solve a number of historic thefts that had previously gone cold.
Detective Inspector Mark Gavin, who led the investigation, emphasized the importance of building trust with victims, especially given the LGBT+ community’s historically strained relationship with law enforcement. “We know that trust and confidence in the Met police is lower among the LGBT+ community than most groups, so ensuring victims felt heard, believed and taken seriously was a key focus for us throughout this investigation,” Gavin said. The use of specialist LGBT+ community liaison officers and close collaboration with advocacy organizations such as GALOP, the UK’s LGBT+ anti-abuse charity, proved crucial. This approach, Gavin noted, not only supported victims but also helped secure harsher sentences by providing robust evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service.
During sentencing, Judge Adenike Balogun acknowledged the profound psychological trauma and distress caused by the invasion of the victims’ homes. She remarked, “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.” Prosecutor David Patience had argued that the men targeted victims because of their sexuality, suggesting the offenses could constitute hate crimes. Judge Balogun, however, ruled that while the men exploited the perceived vulnerability of gay men using Grindr, there was no evidence of direct hostility or animus towards their sexual orientation. Rather, she concluded, “the presumed sexual orientation of the victims presented an opportunity for you to commit the crime.”
Both Mohammadi and Hotak were arrested in April 2025 after the investigation reached its tipping point. Mohammadi was detained on April 3 and charged two days later with one count of theft, 17 counts of burglary, and 12 fraud offenses. Hotak was arrested on April 24 and charged the following day with one count of theft, 14 counts of burglary, and nine fraud offenses. The jury ultimately found Mohammadi guilty of 10 counts of burglary, nine of fraud by false representation, and one of theft, while Hotak was convicted of five counts of burglary, five of fraud by false representation, and one of theft. Both men were acquitted of a number of additional charges.
The case has prompted renewed calls for vigilance among users of dating apps and for continued support for victims of abuse. Superintendent Renowden reiterated the Met’s commitment: “The Met is fully committed to ensuring all communities in London feel safe, as well as continuing to enhance the trust and confidence LGBT+ people place in us. Organised crime has a devastating impact on society and will not be tolerated.”
For those affected by similar crimes, support is available through organizations like GALOP, which offers confidential advice and assistance to LGBT+ people facing abuse or violence. The hope, for many, is that the lessons learned from this case will help prevent future tragedies and foster a safer environment for everyone—both online and off.
