South Simcoe Police have released information about two incidents in which women were allegedly attacked by a person they met on dating apps.
In April 2024, a woman told police she met a male on an online dating app and the two agreed to meet up.
After spending several hours together, police say the man allegedly choked and sexually assaulted the victim.
A 19-year-old from Bradford was charged with sexual assault and attempting to choke.
Then sometime this month, police received another call regarding the same person in which a female reported she had met a guy on an online dating app, and the two began seeing each other.
"After an altercation, the male is alleged to have choked the female. The male proceeded to utter death threats to her and continued to assault her," police said in a news release on Friday.
The teen was arrested and charged with assault, attempting to choke, and uttering threats.
Authorities said the accused had an undertaking from the courts from the first batch of charges that he was supposed to comply with.
"Given the domestic nature of the allegations and to protect the integrity of the victims, the name of the accused will not be released," police stated.
The South Simcoe Police Service would like to issue a reminder of safety as it pertains to utilizing online dating or social media platforms:
· Use strong passwords
· Visit your profile from a friends page and see how much information is accessible to them
· Add privacy settings to your account
· Avoid displaying inappropriate or suggestive pictures
· Never send a message or photo to another user that they would regret posting in public
· When arranging a date, users should consider bringing a friend, or planning a group event to ensure their own safety
· Before meeting up with a new person, ensure that you tell a friend or family member the details of where, when, and who they are meeting up with
· Block any unwanted users
As always, trust your instincts. If something doesn’t feel right it probably isn’t. Remove yourself from the situation and call 9-1-1 immediately in cases of emergency
