Dating apps & rape offences 494/2026

FOI Reference: 494/2026

Request:

Please provide data for the period beginning 1 January 2019 up to 20 May 2026. 

I am requesting:

1. The total number of recorded rape allegations/offences in which any of the following dating applications were referenced within the method of attack, occurrence log, crime report, investigation notes or any searchable field:

• Tinder
• Hinge
• Bumble
• Grindr
• Feeld
• Plenty of Fish / POF
• Match.com
• Happn
• Badoo
• eHarmony

2. Where possible, please provide a yearly breakdown for:

• 2019
• 2020
• 2021
• 2022
• 2023
• 2024
• 2025
• 2026 (as of 20 May) 

3. Please also provide, where available:

• The age of the victim (or age bracket if exact age cannot be disclosed)
• The age of the suspect
• Whether the suspect and complainant were previously unknown to one another
• The specific dating application referenced

For clarity, I am referring to rape offences recorded as:

• rape of a female aged 16 or over
• rape of a male aged 16 or over
• Any equivalent rape offence classifications involving victims under 16 where the dating app was referenced

If your systems cannot conduct searches across all requested applications, please conduct keyword searches for the individual app names listed above.

Response:

I can confirm that Dyfed-Powys Police does hold the information requested, as outlined below.

Rape offences in which the dating sites were referenced:

Year     Volume

2019       0

2020       0

2021       2

2022       0

2023       1

2024       0

2025       0

2026       0

In all 3 cases, the victims and suspects were previously unknown to one another prior to matching together on Tinder based on the account of the cases.

In the 2 cases in 2021, both victims were aged between 18-25 and the suspects in that same year were aged between 18-25 and 26-35.

In the case in 2023, the victim age is unknown, but the suspect was aged between 26-35.

This is a response under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and disclosed on 04/06/2026.