Published by Robert L Senior Reporter on Tuesday 8th April 2025 at 13:45hrs
A 20-year-old Bradford man described as the ringleader of a gang that preyed on users of the dating app Grindr has been sentenced to four and a half years in a young offender institution.
Villian Kesel, of Buxton Street, Bradford, orchestrated a series of offences between April and May 2024 in Bradford and Leeds, where his group arranged meetings with men via the app before subjecting them to burglaries and demands for money.
Kesel pleaded guilty to four counts of burglary and one count of robbery at Bradford Crown Court yesterday (7th April).
The court heard how Kesel’s gang used Grindr to lure victims to locations before stealing items from their homes or coercing them into handing over cash.
In one particularly harrowing incident, a victim was forcibly confined in a car and compelled to transfer over £600 to an online bank account under threat of physical violence.
Alongside Kesel, Aribri Sinaj, 22, of Brougham Street, Burnley, was also sentenced for his involvement in one of the burglaries. Sinaj, who was convicted, received a two-year jail term.
Detective Constable Priscilla Haigh from Bradford CID, who led the investigation, commended the victims for their courage and resilience.
“This has been a complex investigation and I want to praise the victims who have been extremely resilient throughout what has been a truly terrible ordeal for them all,” she said.
“I also want to thank them for their bravery in coming forward to report the offending so we could investigate it. I hope the sentences handed down go some way to helping them move forwards knowing these offenders have been brought to justice.”
The successful prosecution serves as a stark reminder of the potential dangers associated with online interactions and highlights the commitment of law enforcement to bringing perpetrators of such crimes to justice.
G2K INCIDENT WATCH 