News · 4 December 2025
UK police to probe Grindr blackmail case failures
The Independent Office for Police Conduct has ordered Hertfordshire Police to examine whether homophobic assumptions contributed to investigative failures after a gang blackmailed men on Grindr. One victim, Scott Gough, died by suicide 24 hours after being confronted by blackmailers demanding his Range Rover. Police failed to properly investigate despite receiving multiple reports about the same phone number linked to Grindr blackmail cases. The IOPC found the investigation was not robustly conducted and upheld complaints about several police errors following Gough's death.
Reported by BBC · How we write briefs