Alleged serial killer ‘hunted twinks’ across twelve gay hook-up apps
A court has seen details of gay hook-up accounts used by alleged serial killer Stephen Port to find men.
41-year-old Stephen Port, of Barking, east London, is currently standing trial, charged with the murders of Anthony Walgate, Gabriel Kovari, Daniel Whitworth, and Jack Taylor.
Port, has pleaded not guilty to a total of 29 charges over the deaths and alleged attacks on other men.
He is accused of used date rape drug GHB to fatally victims, after meeting them on gay hook-up apps. The four bodies were found in and around the St Margaret’s Churchyard, Barking, between June 2014 and September 2015.
Today, the court saw details of his accounts on gay networking, escort and hook-up sites.
In total, 18 different accounts across 12 separate apps and websites have been linked to Port.
He maintained accounts on Grindr, Hornet, Fitlads, Badoo, Gaydar, Flirt, Daddyhunt, Planet Romeo, Manhunt, Sleepyboy, Slaveboys and Couchsurfing.
The court heard that many of the profiles indicate a preference towards younger men and ‘twinks’.
One Fitlads account stated “Twink types no older than 25 please”, while a Grindr account, under the name ‘Top fun joe’, featured the description “Twinks only please”. Another account belonging to the 41-year-old requested “younger slim guys 18-24yrs”.
His profile on gay bondage site Slaveboys, under then name “Domboss4twink”, specified ‘Rape Fantasy’ under the ‘What’s he into’ section.
Many of the profile pictures do not bear a resemblance to Port.
One Fitlads profile uses the name “Drake” identifying himself as a “student looking for sex”, using a picture of an actor. A Grindr profile registered to Port’s email address claims to be 18 year old, using a stock image and the name ‘Bob bottom boy’.
The court also heard a 999 call that Port made on 19 June 2014, in which he claims to have passed a man who “looks like he’s collapsed or had a seizure or something” in his car.
In the call, Port directed authorities to the location where the body of Anthony Walgate was later recovered.
The court heard he was initially marked as a “significant witness” in the death due to the call.
The court previously heard that GHB bottles and even a suicide note were found planted on men’s bodies.
The prosecutor said: “The prosecution say it is a case about a man – the defendant – who in the pursuit of nothing more than his own sexual gratification, variously drugged, sexually assaulted, and in four cases killed, young gay men he had invited back to his flat.
“We say all of the offending behaviour was driven by one main factor, namely the defendant’s appetite for having sexual intercourse with younger, gay males while they were unconscious through drugs.”
Port is facing four counts of murder and administering a poison over the deaths, as well as an additional seven counts of rape, four of sexual assault, and six more counts of administering poison related to alleged attacks on other men.
He pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The trial continues.
