A 16 year-old who catfished a man to a violent trap on hook-up app Grindr resulting in an attempted robbery has dodged imprisonment. Appearing at the Dublin Children’s Court, the schoolboy pleaded guilty to an attempted robbery of a Brazillian man in his mid-twenties at a park in Dundrum on June 28 2020.

The 16 year-old, who can’t be named as he is a minor, was sentenced to 12-months’ supervised probation when he appeared before Judge Brendan Toale today, February 26.

During the hearing, Detective Garda Paul Kane said that the boy, who was 15 at the time, set up a fake profile through Grindr. “The accused used a false name and false age, and his own picture,” Det. Kane said, adding that the boy pretended to be 19 on his profile.

On June 28 last year, he connected with a Brazilian national on Grindr and they agreed to meet up later that day. “The allegation was that a sexual interaction would take place,” he said.

They met later that evening in a park in Dundrum and following a brief conversation they walked 20 yards away into the woods. It was at this point that the youth asked the man to empty his pockets.

Two other males who have yet to be identified then approached placing the man in a headlock and punching him in the face.

As the man ran and screamed for help, the three males chased after him. He managed to flag down a car and rang the Gardai. Detective Garda Kane said that then man suffered no physical injuries and nothing was taken from him.

The boy with the Grindr profile involved in the attempted robbery was identified and arrested just over two weeks later and he made admissions during an interview.

A probation report stated that with no criminal history, the boy as at low risk of re-offending and a non-custodial sentence was recommended. Judge Toale described the crime as unusual and very serious saying that it could have turned out a lot worse for those involved.

There are a number of ways to increase your safety while using dating apps, read the guide here.