Nine minors arrested in Seine-Saint-Denis for theft, assault and rape of men trapped online

Two separate cases took place in the department: four minors are in police custody in particular for acts of “rape with torture and barbaric acts”, committed on April 15 and 17, five others for attacks committed on April 23 and 28 .

Five minors were placed in police custody on Tuesday, May 28, after being arrested as part of a preliminary investigation for attempted theft by an organized gang and intentional violence aggravated by three circumstances, franceinfo learned from the Bobigny public prosecutor’s office. They are suspected of having attacked two people in Blanc-Mesnil, a town in Seine-Saint-Denis, on April 23 and 28.

These are college students attending school in Aulnay-sous-Bois, arrested at their homes Monday morning, according to corroborating sources at franceinfo. During the searches, the police discovered three handguns and six cartridges in one of them, according to these sources.

The prosecution specifies that each time, the facts took place following an appointment made on Grindr, a dating application for homosexual or bisexual men. On April 23, individuals attempted to steal the first victim’s phone, “before fleeing.” Five days later, they “delivered blows” to a second victim, who was not, however, subjected to an attempted theft. The preliminary investigation was entrusted to the Aulnay-sous-Bois police station.

In addition to these five people, there are four other minors, arrested and placed in police custody as part of another investigation, continues the Bobigny prosecutor’s office. This time, the investigation is targeting acts of “rape with torture and barbaric acts”, as well as “organized gang theft”, committed on April 15 against a first person. Then acts of “kidnapping and sequestration by an organized gang”, committed two days later against another person.

“The victims had contacted people for a meeting via Telegram or Snapchat,” specifies the prosecution, which does not wish to provide further information at this stage. The Seine-Saint-Denis judicial police sub-directorate is responsible for this investigation.