Verification stops predation

Grindr is not an app for children. It’s essentially a delivery service for gay sex — a place where men can scroll through nearby users to find hook-ups based on shared sexual interests. It might be risky, and certainly isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s something adult men ought to be free to use.

The problem is, children are on Grindr. And predators know it. Gaining access is shockingly easy. All it takes is entering a name, email, and date of birth. Users whose ages seem questionable may be flagged and asked for ID — but nothing stops a child from simply claiming to be 18 and unlocking full access to the app. As a case that concluded on Thursday made horrifyingly clear, this safeguarding weakness is allowing adult predators to target and abuse children.

Stephen Ireland, co-founder of Pride in Surrey, was found guilty of raping a 12-year-old boy he met on Grindr. The child was directed to the flat Ireland shared with his partner, David Sutton, where he was abused.

Ireland was also convicted of distributing indecent images of children, publishing obscene messages about child abuse, and possessing prohibited and extreme pornographic material.

If this were an isolated case, it would be horrifying enough. But campaigners warn it’s part of a larger pattern.

Not All Gays Ireland (NAG) believe grooming on apps like Grindr is a significant and growing threat to young LGB people. NAG co-founder Annaïg Birdy is blunt: “The Stephen Ireland case is not an anomaly. Predators on these apps have access to children as young as 11.”

Research conducted by the group into the experiences of LGB people found that 72 per cent of respondents accessed dating applications as children, and only around a third “encountered any form of meaningful age verification.” A quarter said they had used a dating or hook-up app to meet an adult for sex while under the age 18.

“LGB youth, already feeling isolated and vulnerable, are being funnelled into spaces where men like Ireland have unfettered access to them. Without mandatory age verification, these apps are complicit in enabling child predators,” warns Birdy. Her group has submitted a petition to the European Parliament calling for strict age verification on dating and hook-up apps.

Responsible adults will recognise that the online world can offer both refuge and risk to children. But what might be less obvious to straight parents, is that teenagers who are starting to question their sexual orientation are particularly vulnerable.

The reason is simple: numbers. While straight teenagers have plenty of opportunities to explore crushes and flirt within their peer groups, young LGB people often don’t. However accepting their friends might be, they are often the only one in their group experiencing same-sex attraction. That isolation cuts deep. 

A crush on a best friend that can never be reciprocated. Offhand jokes about being “a bit gay” that are long remembered. The fear of being different, of being alone. In search of connection, many young LGB people turn online. As do those seeking to exploit them.

Predators don’t care about equality or inclusion. They care about access

This problem ought to be obvious. But legacy gay groups like Stonewall and the LGBT Foundation are saying nothing. They’re busy promoting asexual awareness campaigns and whining about negative news coverage, but when asked about the real-world dangers facing vulnerable LGB youth they stay tight-lipped. On requesting a quote, a Stonewall spokesperson declined to comment.

Could the reluctance of groups like Stonewall to confront this emerging threat to young LGB people stem from an aversion to admitting that there are indeed predators within their own communities? It seems in 2025 it is apparently still too complicated to acknowledge that abusers exist within every group. Perhaps it would look too messy on funding applications.

But the Ireland case has made one thing clear — this conversation can no longer be avoided. Defending minority rights should never mean turning a blind eye to the exploitation of young people. Predators don’t care about equality or inclusion. They care about access. And right now, apps like Grindr are giving it to them.

Grindr was approached for comment. None was given.