Miami man Stevenson Charles has pleaded guilty to a series of violent crimes against gay men he met on dating app Grindr. Charles admitted to 17 charges, including carjackings, kidnappings, robberies, and assaults.
The crimes were committed between October 23 and November 6 of last year. The charges carry the possibility of life in prison. Prosecutors said Charles lured men to his home, where he pulled a gun on them and forced them to withdraw money from ATMs. In one case, Charles beat a man with a gun while threatening to kill everyone in the pictures on the victim’s phone. In another case, Charles forced a man to drive him to the victim’s own residence and then robbed the victim and his partner. Charles then shot the victim multiple times, including in the head.
The case is the latest in a series of attacks against men who use the dating app. Zechariah Warren, 19, was arrested in Georgia earlier this month for allegedly robbing at gunpoint up to seven men he met on Grindr. In March, a Louisiana man was sentenced to 45 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to kidnapping, attempting to murder, and dismembering a gay man he met on Grindr. In April 2020, a California man pleaded guilty to robbing and assaulting at least 21 gay men he met on Grindr over a period of two-and-a-half years.
The crimes have raised questions about the safety of dating apps, particularly for members of marginalized communities. According to an analysis of FBI data by the LGBTQ advocacy group Human Rights Campaign, there was a 20% increase in hate crimes against LGBTQ people in 2020. In response to the rise in attacks, Grindr has said it is working to improve user safety by adding features like the ability to hide location and requiring users to verify their identities. However, advocates say more needs to be done to prevent violence against members of marginalized communities. Charles faces the possibility of hate crime enhancements and is due back in court on April 24.