FOI 001195/18 I Write in Connection with Your Request for Information Re

April 2018

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: FOI 001195/18

I write in connection with your request for information received by Norfolk Constabulary on the 29th March 2018 in which you sought access to the following information:

1 How many crime reports over the last five years mention "online dating"? Please break this information down by calendar years (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017), provide a brief description of the crime, the gender of the victim and whether the perpetrator was charged or not. I do not require any other information.

2 How many times were any of the following websites or apps mentioned:

 Plenty of Fish  Grindr  Tinder  Badoo  Tagged  OK Cupid  Zoosk  Match.com  Other

Please can you break this down by year (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017)?

Response to your Request

The response provided below is correct as of 6th April 2018.

Norfolk Constabulary has located the following information as relevant to your request.

Research has been undertaken of recorded crimes using the keywords ‘online dating’ and the dating apps listed. With regard to ‘Tagged’, this returned too many records to include, as this term is commonly used within crime and incident reports but would not be relevant to your request.

Please note, the crimes have not been reviewed in order to establish in what way the site is relevant to the offence.

Year Number of Crimes Victims Male Victims Female 2013 3 1 2 2014 12 4 8 2015 33 12 21 2016 42 8 34 2017 50 15 35 Total 140 40 100 Offence Type Number 2013 Theft If Not Classified Elsewhere 1 Common Assault & Battery 1 Rape Of A Female Aged 16 Or Over 1 2014 Breach Of Sex Offender Order 1 Threats To Kill 1 Common Assault & Battery 2 Blackmail 2 Theft If Not Classified Elsewhere 1 Rape Of A Female Aged 16 Or Over 2 Sexual Activity With A Female Child Under 16 - Offender 18 or over 1 Sending letters etc with intent to cause distress or anxiety 1 Harassment 1 2015 Sexual Assault On A Female 2 Blackmail 5 Attempted - Blackmail 1 Sending letters etc with intent to cause distress or anxiety 10 Harassment 2 Theft If Not Classified Elsewhere 1 Rape Of A Female Aged 16 Or Over 6 Disclose private sexual photographs with intent to cause distress 3 Possession Of An Indecent Or Pseudo Photograph Of A Child 1 Sexual Activity With A Female Child Under 16 - Offender 18 or over 1 Other Criminal Damage to A Dwelling 1 2016 Theft in a dwelling other than from automatic machine or meter 2 Rape of a female (16 or over) (Indictable) 7 Breach of a restraining order 3 Blackmail (Indictable) 6 Sending letters etc with intent to cause distress or anxiety, Malicious 6 Communications Act 1988 Other criminal damage to a vehicle (Under £5,000) 1 Harassment - Putting people in fear of violence 2 Harassment - without violence (course of conduct) 3 Arranging or facilitating the sexual exploitation of a child: Child under 13 1 Arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence 1 Assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH) 3 Take or to make or to distribute indecent photographs or pseudo- 1 photographs, of children Sexual activity with a female child under 16 by Penetration - Offender 18 or 2 over (Indictable) Threats to kill 1 Sexual assault on a female 2 Kidnapping - False imprisonment (Indictable) 1 2017 Theft in a dwelling other than from automatic machine or meter 1 Disclose private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress 1 Blackmail (Indictable) 6 Blackmail 1 Sending letters etc with intent to cause distress or anxiety, Malicious 8 Communications Act 1988 Robbery (Personal) (Indictable) 1 Take or to make or to distribute indecent photographs or pseudo- 1 photographs, of children Rape of a female (16 or over) (Indictable) 7 Other criminal damage to a dwelling (Under £5,000) 2 Stalking involving serious alarm/distress 3 Sexual assault on a female 2 Harassment - without violence (course of conduct) 4 Causing or inciting a female child under 16 to engage in sexual activity No 1 Penetration - Offender 18 or over Engage in controlling/coercive behaviour in an intimate / family relationship. 1 Assault without Injury - Common assault and battery 2 ABH 1 Assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH) 4 Breach of a restraining order 3 Assault on a female by penetration (Indictable) 1

Crime Outcome Number 2013 01. Charged/Summons 1 Not recorded 2 2014 01. Charged/Summons 4 Not recorded 2 18. No Suspect. Crime investigated. Case closed pending 3 R1. Restorative Disposal 1 14. No Suspect. Victim declines/unable to support 1 15. Victim supports but evidential difficulties prevent 1 2015 01. Charged/Summons 9 Not recorded 4 18. No Suspect. Crime investigated. Case closed pending 7 16. Suspect ID. Victim does not support (or has withdrawn) 4 14. No Suspect. Victim declines/unable to support 4 15. Victim supports but evidential difficulties prevent 3 Type 8 - Community resolution (Crime) 1 Type 3 - Caution Adult 1 2016 01. Charged/Summons 7 Not recorded 5 16. Suspect ID. Victim does not support (or has withdrawn) 7 18. No Suspect. Crime investigated. Case closed pending 9 14. No Suspect. Victim declines/unable to support 2 Type 8 - Community resolution (Crime) 2 15. Victim supports but evidential difficulties prevent 5 Type 21 - Further investigation resulting from crime report which could provide evidence sufficient to support formal action against the suspect is 2 not in the public interest - police decision Type 17 - Prosecution Time Limit Expired: Suspect Identified But 1 Prosecution Time Limit Has Expired Type 3 - Caution Adult 1 Type 10 - Formal Action Against Offender is not in the Public Interest 1 (Police) 2017 01. Charged/Summons 7 Not recorded 5 16. Suspect ID. Victim does not support (or has withdrawn) 21 18. No Suspect. Crime investigated. Case closed pending 7 14. No Suspect. Victim declines/unable to support 4 Type 21 - Further investigation resulting from crime report which could provide evidence sufficient to support formal action against the suspect is 1 not in the public interest - police decision. 15. Victim supports but evidential difficulties prevent 4 Type 20 - Further action resulting from the crime report will be undertaken by another body or agency subject to the victim (or person acting on their 1 behalf) being made aware of the act to be taken

Name of Website/App 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Total Badoo 2 3 7 4 6 22 Grinder / Grindr - - 2 - 2 4 Match.com - 1 - - - 1 okcupid.com - - - 1 - 1 Plenty of fish / POF 1 2 13 19 21 56 Tinder - - 2 8 17 27 Tinder / POF - - - 1 - 1 Zoosk - 1 1 - 1 3 Other - 5 8 9 3 25 Total 3 12 33 42 50 140