PHOENIX — More people than ever before are turning to the world of online dating and apps to find love, but with that comes some potential danger.
Just over a week ago. Phoenix police arrested two men Daniel Rey Martinez and his roommate Fabian Reyes for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman who Martinez met on a dating app.
“This is one of those horrible situations,” Jeff Hynes, Glendale Community College professor and former Phoenix police commander, said.
On May 22 Phoenix police said that a woman went to an apartment on 67th Avenue to meet 33-year-old Daniel Rey Martinez, a man she had met on a dating site.
Martinez and his roommate allegedly sexually assaulted the woman after she arrived.
The woman escaped after asking to get some air before calling the police.
Authorities arrested both men, who are now charged with sexual assault.
“Cases such as this are just terrifying,” Hynes said.
These are cases Hynes knows too well. For three years during his Phoenix police career, Hynes ran the unit in charge of investigating sexual assault cases. He said cases like these have been on the rise.
“Sexual assaults like this happen all the time," he said.
Data showed that the actual number of sexual assaults stemming from online or app meetups can be hard to find. Hynes said that many cases go unreported because of shame or fear.
Anecdotally, there are tragic examples.
Back in 2016, Angela Russo met Lashawn Johnson after meeting him online. Russo never came back home.
Months later Russo’s body was found, dumped in the Arizona desert. Johnson was later convicted of first-degree murder.
“Don’t just meet someone online and go to their apartment or house. You are putting yourself at terrible terrible risk,” Hynes said.
It may sound obvious, but the most common place for sexual assaults to occur is at an assailants house. According to data from England, 72% of sexual assaults took place at someone’s home.
The second key, Hynes said, is to know who you are seeing.
“Vet them, google their name, look at their profile on Facebook,” Hynes said.
This includes trying to get information like the person’s birthday to see if you can find out any history about them.
Catfishing, or a person using a fake profile to lure someone into a compromising situation, is also a concern that comes with meeting people online.
When fake profiles are used, Hynes said that can make law enforcement’s job harder in finding the perpetrator.
If someone is unwilling to answer questions, it's a red flag, Hynes said.
Finally, if something does happen, Hynes said to contact the police. It isn’t just about getting justice, but preventing potential other victims.
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