A man who used Grindr to rob men after having sex with them has been jailed for a further two years and three months after more of his victims spoke out.
Anouar Sabbar, 29, from Southwark, was sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Wednesday after pleading guilty to seven counts of blackmail, two of attempted fraud, and theft, in June.
He was previously being sentenced to five years’ imprisonment in January for a string of blackmail, robbery and theft offences.
Sabbar intentionally preyed on members of the LGBT community, “believing that shame or embarrassment would prevent his victims from coming forward”, Metropolitan Police Detective Inspector Arif Sharif said.
Mr Sharif said: “I commend the bravery shown by his victims in reporting these incidents. There may still be others out there who were exploited by Sabbar. Please get in touch with us – we are here to listen to you and will take what you say incredibly seriously. You will be treated with sensitivity and in confidence.”
Between August 2018 and March 2021 Sabbar stole almost £900 from men, aged in their 30s, during this time.
Sabber would meet seek out and meet men on the dating app Grindr, have consensual sex and then state he was an escort and demand money from the victims.
He also threatened to use violence or blackmail in order to intimidate the victims. Once he got the money Sabbar would block the victim’s profile on Grindr, removing the online conversation between them, making it difficult for him to be traced.
Sabbar would swap his SIM cards and mobile phone number regularly, and often changed his hairstyle so he wasn’t recognised.
In 2018, a victim refused to pay Sabbar so he told him that a group of people would visit his home and beat him up.
In another incident, Sabbar blackmailed a victim to transfer him money and lied to him that the money had not gone through. He then even forged a letter appearing to be from the bank confirming this.
Sabbar had sipped from a glass at one of the victims’ homes and this helped police forensic investigators to retrieve his DNA and link him to the offence.
Superintendent Martin Kirby, the Met’s lead for hate crime, said: “We do not tolerate the targeting of victims based on their sexuality or gender, or perceived sexuality or gender, and anyone who does come forward to disclose an allegation of crime of this nature will be treated sensitively and in confidence.
“We are working closely with the Crown Prosecution Service to protect the identities of victims in these cases, recognising that some victims may not identify as gay or bisexual or be ‘out’ to friends or relatives, perhaps because of cultural reasons.
“I can also fully appreciate that some victims may feel embarrassed about coming forward, or are perhaps nervous about speaking to a police officer due to other factors. We are doing all we can, by working closely with other agencies, to give victims the support that is right for them.”
