Dallas Pair Charged With Hate Crimes For Allegedly Targeting Gay Men On Grindr
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - A federal grand jury charged a pair of Dallas men with conspiracy to commit hate crimes, kidnapping and carjacking.
Daniel Jenkins, 20, and Daryl Henry, 22, were also charged with hate crimes and kidnapping.
Jenkins was also charged with carjacking and brandishing a firearm during crimes of violence.
"Criminals are using apps like Grindr to single out victims based on their sexual orientation," said U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox. "My office is committed to rooting out these despicable crimes motivated by hate."
According to the 15-count indictment, suspects used the gay dating app Grindr to create fake profiles and pose as gay men interested in "dates" to lure gay men to an apartment complex in Dallas in order to commit violent crimes against them.
The suspects allegedly forced the victims at gunpoint to give up their wallets, money, car keys, cars, drivers' licenses, credit cards and cell phones.
According to the indictment, the suspects used Grindr to lure nine victims to an apartment complex in Dallas from Dec. 6, 2017, through Dec. 11, 2017.
On Dec. 11, 2017, the suspects allegedly held five victims against their will in an apartment at the complex.
Four of the victims were physically assaulted, three were sexually assaulted, and some victims were called gay slurs.
One of the suspects is also accused of urinating and wiping human feces on at least one victim.
The indictment further alleges that Jenkins and Henry caused bodily injury to four victims because of their actual and perceived sexual orientation.
The indictment charges both Jenkins and Henry with kidnapping these four victims and Jenkins with kidnapping two additional victims, carjacking two victims, and using a firearm in connection with the carjackings.
If convicted, both defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison for the hate crime and kidnapping charges, five years for the conspiracy charge, and a fine of up to $250,000 with respect to each charge. Jenkins also faces up to 15 years for the carjacking charges and a mandatory minimum of at least seven years in prison, plus a $250,000 fine for each firearms charge.
