Two men have been sent to prison after being found guilty of a series of burglaries in which they used the dating app Grindr to gain access to their victims' London homes.
The Grindr Burglary Scheme
Rahmat Khan Mohammadi, 23, and Mohammed Bilal Hotak, 27, both Afghan refugees, orchestrated a deceptive plot over several months. They would arrange to meet men through the app and invite them to their own properties. Once inside, they would coax their victims into handing over their phone passwords, often under the pretence of wanting to play music via YouTube.
With the passwords obtained, the pair would then steal the phones and swiftly leave. They proceeded to make unauthorised online or contactless payments and, in some instances, transferred funds directly to themselves.
Scale of the Offences and Court Sentencing
Mohammadi's criminal activity spanned five months, during which he targeted 11 victims between 24 October 2024 and 24 March 2025. Hotak committed multiple offences between 24 October 2024 and 23 December 2024.
At Isleworth Crown Court on Monday 22 December 2025, Judge Adenike Balogun sentenced Mohammadi to five years in prison. His accomplice, Hotak, received a three-and-a-half-year sentence.
Judge's Remarks on Targeting and Impact
In her sentencing remarks, Judge Balogun addressed the profound effect on the victims, noting the psychological trauma and distress caused by having their private spaces violated. She stated: "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."
The prosecutor, David Patience, had suggested the men were targeted due to their sexuality, potentially classifying the acts as hate crimes. Judge Balogun considered this carefully but concluded the motivation was opportunistic rather than hostile.
"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," she said. "I suspect you were – and I put it no higher than that – banking on the victims not reporting the crime." She found that Grindr simply offered "an opportunity to gain easy access into the homes of the victims."
Mohammadi, of Weald Lane in Harrow, north-west London, was convicted by a jury of ten counts of dwelling burglary, nine of fraud by false representation, and one count of theft. Hotak, of Richmond Road in Hackney, east London, was found guilty of five counts of dwelling burglary, five of fraud, and one theft.
