‘Nasty, spineless’ man who used Grindr to rob and blackmail men is jailed
Anouar Sabbar, a 28-year-old man of Cole Street in Southwark, was sentenced on 20 January at Snaresbrook Crown Court. According to the Metropolitan Police, from April 2019 to June 2021 he stole £2,360 from his victims – whose ages ranged from 25 to 57-years-old.
Sabbar met men using Grindr and, after having consensual intercourse with them, would state he was an escort and demand payment.
This sometimes involved threats of physical violence and blackmail, with Sabbar blocking the men on the app after getting their money – something which made it more difficult for police to trace him.
He would also frequently change his hairstyle, swap SIM cards and switch phone numbers to avoid being caught. In one of the incidents, Sabbar told a victim he would let his girlfriend know the details of their sexual encounter if he did not pay him – including sending her their chat history and pictures they exchanged.
