Promiscuous robbers leave you less than satisfied
Gay cruising grounds in Croydon are being targeted by criminals who have sex with you before robbing you at knifepoint, police have warned.
Croydon Police are warning gay men to be extra vigilant after it emerged the attackers lure their victims into a false sense of security by engaging in sexual acts and then threatening men at knifepoint.
The promiscuous robbers have been known to take phones and men’s cars.
However police fear the exact numbers and scale of the problem is unknown as many victims are too embarrassed or scared to report the crime.
Croydon’s (LGBT) lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender liaison officer PC Jeff Wade told the Croydon Guardian he believed there were more victims than the police were aware of.
“It’s an ongoing thing. I hear of this happening all the time but people are very reluctant to report it. Because they have been intimate with the suspects, the victims have been at their most vulnerable.”
PC Wade continued, “We had one man come to us to say he’d been liasing with a chap on Shirley Hills when the guy in question jumped into the victim’s car and said, give me a lift.
“Reluctantly he did and the next thing he knew a knife was pulled out and the guy tried to steal his car.”
PC Wade believes there is a high possibility that these crimes continue to occur due to the suspect knowing very few of his victims will report the offence.
The warning appeared on Croydon’s LGBT police consultation website ‘Aurora’ saying: “There have been similar events in other cruising grounds where someone robs or assaults a cruiser after having had sex.
“This gives them the advantage of gaining the confidence of the victim.”
PC Wade is appealing for greater LGBT involvement with the police, urging gay men to trust the police and report hate crime.
To report a hate crime, contact the community safety unit at Croydon on 020 8649 1265. LGBT officers can also be contacted on 020 8649 0213/07733122408
