Nine men arrested in Grindr sex sting in North Georgia

[+ Reg]

"The Dawson County Sheriff's Office arrested nine men during a three-day sting using Grindr, charging them with a host of misdemeanors and felonies after aggressively pursuing at least one of the men on the hookup app."

https://www.projectq.us/atlanta/Nine_men_arrested_in_Grindr_sex_sting_in_North_Georgia

[Mo Mason]

Well that just made me angry, thanks. A sting, targeting gay men soliciting sex for drugs or money... nine arrested who were charged only with pandering and marijuana possession (because when it was all said and done there was no proof of prostitution).. and their names and mugshots were plastered all over the N. Georgia news media in connection to a gay prostitution sting. Lives ruined. This is absolutely disgusting.

[marylander1940]

"The Dawson County Sheriff's Office arrested nine men during a three-day sting using Grindr, charging them with a host of misdemeanors and felonies after aggressively pursuing at least one of the men on the hookup app."

https://www.projectq.us/atlanta/Nine_men_arrested_in_Grindr_sex_sting_in_North_Georgia

 

Well that just made me angry, thanks. A sting, targeting gay men soliciting sex for drugs or money... nine arrested who were charged only with pandering and marijuana possession (because when it was all said and done there was no proof of prostitution).. and their names and mugshots were plastered all over the N. Georgia news media in connection to a gay prostitution sting. Lives ruined. This is absolutely disgusting.

 

I guess because the quarantine cops need to come up with sting operations like this to pretend they're working catching dangerous criminals.

[instudiocity]

I guess because the quarantine cops need to come up with sting operations like this to pretend they're working catching dangerous criminals.

The arrests were on March 2-4, pre-quarantine, in North Georgia.

[marylander1940]

The arrests were on March 2-4, pre-quarantine, in North Georgia.

 

You're right the link didn't work when I tried to open it.

 

I hope you're not encouraging law enforcement to do this.

[Walker1]

"The Dawson County Sheriff's Office arrested nine men during a three-day sting using Grindr, charging them with a host of misdemeanors and felonies after aggressively pursuing at least one of the men on the hookup app."

https://www.projectq.us/atlanta/Nine_men_arrested_in_Grindr_sex_sting_in_North_Georgia

Idiots. These people were just trying to hook up and that smug POS Sherriff decided to do something to justify his salary and pension. I honestly don't know why the US is so backwards in sex and drug laws.

[Monarchy79]

This is 100% entrapment.

I hope the victims will involve the ACLU, and then file a major lawsuit.

These greasy, sleazy cops have better things to do, like solve the scores of open, unsolved cases in the state of Georgia:

 

https://gbi.georgia.gov/cases

[MrMattBig]

Thank politics whether in the civil election form or office corporation politics. Don't want to get this thread moved but just want to point out shit like this happens all the time, but especially on a 4 year cycle to pad resumes and accolades to move up, get positions, get clout, etc. If there were no pandemic, I am sure there would be many more stories like this across the country.

 

In California a few years back they finally changed the law or passed another one, not sure about the specifics...but so law enforcement could not use anymore the mere presence of condoms in a woman's (or any gender but specifically brought up as a concern against women) bag as corroborating evidence in a prostitution charge.

[BSR]

Can someone please explain to me what "pandering" is and why it's something that merits an arrest?

[MrMattBig]

Can someone please explain to me what "pandering" is and why it's something that merits an arrest?

It can vary from state to state but essentially it means to facilitate the act of prostitution.

[instudiocity]

Can someone please explain to me what "pandering" is and why it's something that merits an arrest?

US! “One who solicits for a prostitute is a panderer.”

[+ E.T.Bass]

For the legal minds on here, wouldn't it be best not to mention on Grindr a plan to bring drugs, especially meth? Not just in Georgia, but anywhere.

 

Just food for thought. I don't do any drugs and don't meet guys on Grindr.

[BSR]

@instudiocity & @MrMattBig, thanks for responding. I had to chuckle at the "US!" response.

[+ Keith30309]

HERE is the local news story.

This is a fairly rural area and very, very conservative. I'd guess that the sheriff is defiant about this (if he chose to comment) and those who vote for sheriff overwhelmingly supportive of this sort of thing. You simply mention "gay" and "drugs" and folks' minds immediately close, regardless of what actually happened.

 

How far this goes depends on the prosecutor.

[Pepper Young]

This is revolting. Even if the charges are dropped, as they should be, especially for pandering, these men's lives are ruined.

[marylander1940]

Can someone please explain to me what "pandering" is and why it's something that merits an arrest?

 

from pandering to solicitation there's a huge legal stretch... but we're talking about GA. I wonder if they'll do the same on Tinder?

[+ E.T.Bass]

The teacher has no drug charges against him, per the news article. From his social media he does not seem to have been out. He has a masters and by appearances a sweet guy and a smart guy. This sucks in a lot of ways, such as if this outed him to family. Mom seems religious.

 

In his case, if entrapment, and that it was SSGT D. Johnson that targeted him for sex (sounds like one defendant's phone may show that) I hope he can get representation to collect damages. I get the sense he is the one reaching out, but worries about retaliation by the sheriff.

 

Bigger picture, there is nothing wrong with connecting with a guy virtually and meeting for companionship. No shame in that. Sux that the cops have to fuck that up. But there are plenty of people that want to recriminalize gay sex. That said, I don't like the idea that they focused on Grindr and not Tindr as already mentioned above.

[Guest]

I think this is disgusting.

 

If it were minors I’d feel completely different.

 

I don’t mind entrapping pedophiles.

[+ AntonGraza]

If you want to see how scary and powerful a Sheriff’s position can be, watch John Oliver’s report - show, Last Week Tonight on this subject.

[Mo Mason]

I seriously hope there's an outbreak of COVID-19 at this department and I hope that Sheriff dies from it. All of the officers involved in this sting, in fact. To Hell with every one of them.

[+ E.T.Bass]

I think this is disgusting.

 

If it were minors I’d feel completely different.

 

I don’t mind entrapping pedophiles.

Pedophiles would not be on Grindr.

[marylander1940]

I think this is disgusting.

 

If it were minors I’d feel completely different.

 

I don’t mind entrapping pedophiles.

 

Agreed!

 

Pedophiles would not be on Grindr.

 

Anybody trying to meet someone on Grindr who is underage could and should be entrapped.

 

That's what happened to a local pornstar here in DC on manhunt 10 years ago. He offered providing PNP and asked the undercover agent pretending to be an underage guy to go across state borders from VA to DC. He got sentenced to 10 years.

[+ Pensant]

I seriously hope there's an outbreak of COVID-19 at this department and I hope that Sheriff dies from it. All of the officers involved in this sting, in fact. To Hell with every one of them.

I understand your anger.

[+ E.T.Bass]

Agreed!

 

 

 

Anybody trying to meet someone on Grindr who is underage could and should be entrapped.

 

That's what happened to a local pornstar here in DC on manhunt 10 years ago. He offered providing PNP and asked the undercover agent pretending to be an underage guy to go across state borders from VA to DC. He got sentenced to 10 years.

Just saying by definition a pediphlie would not be on Grindr. The term is off topic for this thread and I cringe how often it comes up in reference to us.

 

Back on topic:

What seems to have happened to this teacher appears to be a huge injustice to a sweet young man. I expect that county sheriff will regret it.

[Guest]

Just saying by definition a pediphlie would not be on Grindr. The term is off topic for this thread and I cringe how often it comes up in reference to us.

 

Back on topic:

What seems to have happened to this teacher appears to be a huge injustice to a sweet young man. I expect that county sheriff will regret it.

 

If you don’t think there are minors on grindr you’re mistaken.

 

If you dont think there are adults on Grindr trying to hook up with them, you’re mistaken.

 

I’ve reported 7 under age profiles over the last year. I don’t blame the kids either, I blame the adults.