This Man Allegedly Attempted To Use Grindr To Kidnap And Murder Gay Men

Grindr: A man from Louisiana, United States has been charged after allegedly attempting to use the app Grindr to kidnap and murder gay men according to officials.

The 19-year-old Chance Seneca who attempted to kidnap and murder gay men was charged on six counts by a federal grand jury. According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), the six counts include hate crime, kidnapping, firearm and obstruction charges.

Prosecutors allege that Seneca attempted to use a dating app for male members of the LGBTQ+ community Grindr, to kidnap and murder gay men. Seneca attempted to kidnap a man and successfully kidnapped two other men. It is alleged that Seneca targeted one of the men due to his gender and sexual orientation. He had strangled and attempted to kill that man, who survived but was hospitalised for a month and was in a 3-day coma. The indictment alleges that “The defendant intended to dismember and keep parts of the victim’s body as trophies, mementos and food.”

The indictment also alleged that Seneca was in possession of a firearm and tried to cover up the hate crime by deleting messages between himself and the men he targeted. The maximum penalty for hate crime, kidnapping and firearm offences is life imprisonment. The attempted kidnapping and obstruction offences have a maximum penalty of imprisonment up to 20 years. The minimum penalty for a gun charge is 5 years of imprisonment.

In a statement to The Hill, Grindr stated that the reports of the alleged attempted murder were “beyond disturbing”. They added that “This is yet another reminder of the hatred and violence faced by all-too-many people in the LGBTQ+ community, despite the many advances across the globe. We stand ready to assist local authorities with their investigation of this matter.”