Police failures in a series of suspected blackmail cases targeting men on the dating app Grindr are now under formal review, after the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) found significant shortcomings in how Hertfordshire Police investigated multiple linked incidents.
The watchdog directed the force to reassess whether “homophobic assumptions” contributed to officers’ responses, after at least five victims in one area reported similar threats from a group of men posing as online dates. Four of the cases were connected to the same gang, which has not yet been identified or arrested.
According to documents seen by the BBC, police were informed that a gang of men had visited the home of 56-year-old Scott Gough in March 2024 and demanded his car. The group fled when a witness called police but left behind a handwritten note containing a phone number and the vehicle’s registration.
The same phone number had already appeared in at least one earlier investigation into alleged Grindr-related blackmail. Officers were also able to trace the registration of the gang’s car to a potential suspect, but no interview or follow-up was conducted.
The IOPC later found that the attempted extortion linked to Mr. Gough’s case was not “robustly investigated,” and that several investigative opportunities — including potential DNA evidence — were not pursued.
His partner, Cameron Tewson, told the BBC he felt officers dismissed concerns when he informed them the incident might be connected to activity on Grindr. “When it came up in conversations, I felt like it was just a complete disregard,” he said.
Within ten days of the incident, police received two additional reports involving men who arranged to meet someone through Grindr before being confronted by a group demanding money. The same phone number linked to the earlier case appeared again.
According to the IOPC, the group later attempted to present themselves to police as “paedophile hunters,” though they provided no intelligence to support the claim. Officers treated the group as “individuals requiring safeguarding” rather than as potential offenders.
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Advocacy groups say these cases reflect long-standing gaps in policing crimes targeting LGBTQ+ people.
“We know there are good police officers,” said Bridget Symonds, director of services at anti-abuse charity Galop. “But responses can vary depending on who you speak to and where you are.”
There are no official national statistics tracking crimes linked to dating apps, despite warnings from charities that under-reporting may be significant.
In response to the IOPC findings, Hertfordshire Police said it could not comment on the specifics of the reopened case but stressed that additional investigative actions were under review.
Superintendent Owen Pyle, the force’s LGBTQ+ strategic lead, said Hertfordshire Police was committed to eliminating discrimination and ensuring that victims “feel comfortable to approach the force and will be treated with sensitivity.”
The watchdog has ordered the force to re-examine key elements of its earlier investigation and to review its handling of complaints filed by Mr. Tewson.
The blackmail gang involved in the reported incidents remains at large.