Offences involving dating apps 962/2025

FOI Reference: 962/2025

Request:

Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000, I want to request the following information:

For each of the 3 points listed below please provide breakdown by year –2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. Please treat each year as a calendar year from Jan-Dec. For 2025 please use Jan-September inclusive.

1)     How many offences has your force recorded where the key term “Tinder” has been used? (ie where the term Tinder has been mentioned in the MO field of a crime report)?

2)     How many offences has your force recorded where the key term “Hinge” has been used? (ie where the term Hinge has been mentioned in the MO field of a crime report)?

3)     How many offences has your force recorded where the key term “Dating app” has been used? (ie where the term Dating app has been mentioned in the MO field of a crime report)?

When providing the data, please can you specify the nature of the crime (eg. sexual assault) and whether it resulted in a charge (y/n) and whether it resulted in a conviction (y/n).

If possible, please send the results in an excel format. Please format the table using columns for years, and rows for each question.

I am aware of the limitations on your time and resources that can be applied for each FOI request. If you are able to do so within those constraints, could you also supply for each offence:

• The sex of the alleged victim.
• The age of the alleged victim (This can be divided into age ranges if easier, but should include under 18's as a category).
• Whether or not the accused had a previous conviction.

Clarification:

If possible, we would like figures for a) reports of incidents and b) crimes. If this amendment is deemed to breach the cost threshold, then please just provide ‘crimes’ data.

Response 1:

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

Volume of offences where “Tinder” is mentioned in the crime summary:

0 resulted in a charge.

Response 2:

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

Volume of offences where “Hinge” is mentioned in the crime summary:

0 resulted in a charge.

Response 3:

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

Volume of offences where “Dating App” is mentioned in the crime summary:

0 resulted in a charge.

____________________

It should be noted that as a result of the systems adopted by Dyfed-Powys Police in relation to the recording of such information that the information released may or may not be accurate.

Furthermore, it should also be noted that Police forces in the United Kingdom are routinely required to provide crime statistics to government bodies and the recording criteria is set nationally. However, the systems used for recording these figures are not generic, nor are the procedures used locally in capturing the crime data. It should be noted that for these reasons this force's response to your questions should not be used for comparison purposes with any other response you may receive.

(This is a response under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and disclosed on 21/10/2025)