A 31-year-old Sydney man has been charged by Victoria Police over allegations he used a dating app to lure people into a Melbourne hotel room, where he is accused of stealing their ID documents and using them to commit fraud.
Police arrested the man, who Gay Sydney News has chosen not to name for legal reasons, on Friday, April 11, at a hotel on Bourke Street in Melbourne’s CBD.
Detectives had been investigating a series of cases where a fake dating profile allegedly lured victims to a hotel room in Melbourne’s CBD. Once inside, the man is accused of obtaining personal identity documents and using them to commit further fraud.
Police have charged him with several offences, including obtaining financial advantage by deception and attempting to obtain financial advantage by deception. Each of the financial advantage charges carries a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison under Victorian law.
Court records show he appeared before Melbourne Magistrates’ Court at 6.28pm on April 11 without a lawyer. He was granted conditional bail and is due to return to court on May 7.
His bail conditions include reporting to Ballarat police station once a week, residing at a specified address, and having only one mobile phone – the number of which must be provided to police.
Victoria Police declined to confirm whether it opposed bail, citing the ongoing legal proceedings.
Gay Sydney News also contacted the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria for clarification on whether police opposed bail, but it had not responded by the time of publication.
This article has been legally reviewed by LGBTIQ+ law firm Dowson Turco Lawyers.
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Eliot Hastie is a senior news producer at Channel Ten, reporting on a range of general stories, specialising in foreign affairs and LGBTQ+ stories. He’s also a reporter for Gay Sydney News, where he covers LGBTQIA+ culture, politics and nightlife. He previously helped to build and launch ausbiz, Australia's only live streaming finance news channel, where he was also an executive producer and host. He has previously worked as a finance and business journalist for publications including Fintech Business, Real Estate Business and other Momentum Media titles. Eliot holds a journalism degree from the University of Westminster and brings experience in both broadcast and digital reporting. Contact Eliot: eliot.hastie@gaysydneynews.com.au
Ben Grubb is the founder and editor of Gay Sydney News, an independent publication covering LGBTQIA+ news. A journalist with more than 15 years' experience, he has reported and edited for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, WAToday, Brisbane Times, The Australian Financial Review, News.com.au, ZDNet, TelecomTimes and iTnews, primarily on the topic of technology. He previously hosted The Informer, a queer current affairs program on Melbourne’s JOY 94.9 radio station, and contributes to LGBTQIA+ media including Stun Magazine. Ben has also appeared as a technology commentator on Channel Ten's The Project, ABC RN’s Download This Show and commercial radio stations 2UE, 2GB and 6PR. Contact Ben: ben.grubb@gaysydneynews.com.au
