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FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: 473-2023
I write in connection with your request for information which was received on 3rd May 2023 as follows:
1) For the calendar year 2022, please tell me how many crimes and incidents of alleged blackmail you have recorded which made reference to one (or more) of the following online dating applications in the MO and/or the "investigation summary field"/free-text space:
a) Tinder
b) Bumble
c) Grindr
d) Plenty of Fish
Please provide a breakdown by dating site.
2) For the last ten crimes and incidents, please can you provide a verbatim copy of the "investigation summary field" and/or the modus operani (MO)? Please redact private information so the summary can be released without triggering an exemption.
Please accept my sincere apologies for the delay in providing the response to your request and for any inconvenience this may have caused you. Please find the Warwickshire Police response set out below.
Q1 response: Searches were conducted for all crimes, recorded in 2022, where the stated dating sites appeared within the MO Description / Incident Summary fields. However, it is important to note that should there be further relevant offences recorded, but where the keywords are not present within the MO Description / Incident Summary, these will not have been returned within the search. For this reason information retrieved by way of a keyword search cannot be assumed to be entirely accurate and should be treated with caution.
Dating Site |
Total |
a) Tinder |
10 |
b) Bumble |
0 |
c) Grindr |
0 |
d) Plenty of Fish |
2 |
e) OKCupid |
0 |
f) Hinge |
1 |
Grand total |
13 |
Q2 response: Section 17 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 requires Warwickshire Police, when refusing to provide such information (because the information is exempt) to provide you the applicant with a notice which:
(a) states that fact,
(b) specifies the exemption in question and
(c) states (if that would not otherwise be apparent) why the exemption applies.
The exemption applicable in this case is:
Section 40(2) Personal Information
Section 40 is an absolute class based exemption, which does not require evidence of the harm disclosure would cause and does not require consideration of a public interest test. That being said, where Section 40(2) is engaged, in order to make the exemption absolute there needs to be evidence that a Data Protection Principle would be breached by disclosure.
This exemption is engaged where disclosure of information relates to personal data of a third party or could lead to the identification of an individual, either from that information alone or combined with any other information from within the Police Service or public domain. In this case, providing verbatim copies of the MO Descriptions / Incident Summaries, even in a redacted format, is likely to lead to the identification of an individual. Such a disclosure would breach individuals’ rights under the Data Protection Act 2018, in particular Article 5(1) of the GDPR which states that personal data shall be processed lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner in relation to the data subject.
This letter serves as a refusal notice under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information Act in relation to information being provided verbatim.
Information I am able to provide is set out below and is based on a summary of the text fields.
Summary |
MATCHED ON TINDER THEN BEGAN CHATTING ON ANOTHER PLATFORM - SUSPECT STATED THEY HAVE INTIMATE PICTURES OF INF AND MADE THREATS TO SEND THEM TO INF'S CONTACTS UNLESS THEY PAY A DEMAND FOR MONEY |
MET INDIVIDUAL ON PLENTY OF FISH, AFTER A WHILE SENT INTIMATE PICTURES. SUSPECT THEN DEMANDED MONEY AND MADE THREATS TO DISCLOSE PICTURES IF NOT PAID. |
MATCHED ON TINDER AND THE CONVERSATION MOVED TO ANOTHER PLATFORM WHERE INTIMATE PHOTOS HAVE BEEN EXCHANGED. THE SUSPECT HAS THEN DEMANDED MONEY, OTHERWISE THE INTIMATE PHOTO WOULD BE SENT TO THE VICTIM'S CONTACTS. |
HAD BEEN SPEAKING ON TINDER AND ANOTHER PLATFORM AND AN INTIMATE RECORDING WAS MADE. THE SUSPECT THEN MADE DEMANDS OF MONEY. |
HAD BEEN CONTACTED ON TINDER AND CONVERSATION MOVED TO ANOTHER PLATFORM. AN INTIMATE ACT WAS CARRIED OUT AND THE SUSPECT IS NOW DEMANDING MONEY AND MADE THREATS TO DISCLOSE TO PEOPLE IP KNOWS IF THEY ARE NOT PAID. |
FOLLOWING A TINDER MATCH HAVE ENGAGED IN AN INTIMATE VIDEO CALL. THE SUSPECT HAS THEN MADE CONTACT DEMANDING MONEY AND MADE THREATS TO DISCLOSE TO INDIVIDUALS KNOWN TO THE IP IF NOT PAID. |
HAS BEEN CHATTING ON TINDER AND AGREED TO SEND INTIMATE PHOTOS. THE SUSPECT HAS THEN DEMANDED MONEY OR THEY WOULD DISTRIBUTE IMAGES TO PERSONS KNOWN TO THE INDIVIDUAL. |
HAS BEEN SPEAKING ON TINDER AND THEN MOVED TO OTHER PLATFORMS WHERE ASKED TO TAKE PART IN AN INTIMATE VIDEO CALL. HAS THEN LATER RECEIVED MESSAGES FROM THE SUSPECT DEMANDING MONEY AND MAKING THREATS TO DISCLOSE PICTURE TO PERSONS KNOWN TO IP IF NOT PAID. |
MATCHED ON TINDER AND BEGAN SPEAKING ON ANOTHER PLATFORM AND AN INTIMATE VIDEO CALL HAS TAKEN PLACE. THE SUSPECT HAS THEN THREATENED TO SEND PICTURES TO PERSONS KNOWN TO IP IF MONEY NOT PAID. |
SENT AN INTIMATE VIDEO TO AN INDIVIDUAL VIA THE 'HINGE' DATING APP. THEN RECEIVED A MESSAGE DEMANDING PAYMENT. |
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided is as accurate as possible.
Your attention is drawn to the below which details your right of complaint.
Should you have any further enquiries concerning this matter, please write or email the Freedom of Information Unit quoting the reference number above.
Yours sincerely
Freedom of Information Officer
Freedom of Information Unit
Warwickshire Police
PO Box 4
Leek Wootton
Warwickshire
CV35 7QB