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Man jailed for attacks on gay men he met in chatrooms



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A life sentence has been handed to a Swedish man for his brutal attacks against gay men.

Swedish website The Local reported that the 35-year-old was convicted of killing a man in his own home on December 28th 2007 and of the robbery and attempted murder of a 44-year-old man the day before. He was also convicted of robbing two men on the ninth and 15th of December, having finished a sentence in January 2007 for similar crimes.

The man met his victims through internet chat sites and gave the impression that he wanted to have sex with them, meeting them in their apartments in Stockholm.

His last victim died from knife wounds and a knife was used in the attempted murder. The victim received a number of threats and stab wounds, including one on the sole of his foot as he lay naked in bed with his hand tied behind his back. He also had his wallet, holding 900 kronor (around £75), stolen.

"All the victims were, or are, homosexual," said public prosecutor Fredrik Ingblad at the man's indictment hearing. "He has taken advantage of their sexual preferences and violated them."

Have you ever met someone in person that you'd 'met' on the internet? Did they tie you up, stab you in the foot and steal your wallet? (I hope not) Can it ever be safe to meet up with someone you 'met' online? Are minority groups particularly vulnerable in cases like this?
LindseyIndigo

35 responses // Man jailed for attacks on gay men he met in chatrooms

  • yeah this happened in houston a while back, scary.
    arghENMY
  • Small mercies this murderous individual was eventually caught. The internet is a dangerous enough place as it is.
    EclecticBadger
  • If Swedish prisons are anything like US prisons it won't be long before this guy is someones girlfriend if you know what I mean. Karma can be a bitch.
    Mark701
    1 response to this
  • Damn, this is like some "Hostel" shit yo.
    frankyk
  • imagine arranging to meet an online acquaintance in person, with the expectation of having sex, no less; and instead getting robbed, then murdered. i guess you can't really be too careful these days.
    orangeseverywhere
  • The tittle is misleading. This is yet another awful scam from a thief.
    petarro
    2 responses to this
  • To answer your question, "Can it ever be safe to meet up with someone you 'met' online?" Yes, it can.

    I met my best friend online almost ten years ago now. She lives in Toronto and I live in San Francisco. We really wanted to meet up after we'd known each other for a couple of years online, so I bit the bullet and got a plane ticket to Toronto. I was about 17 at the time and we hit it off just as well in real life as we had online. Since then, we've taken turns visiting each other, and she and I are due to take a trip to Vegas together in October.

    Fact is, most of the people you meet online are just like you and me. There are only a few bad eggs, but unfortunately they really color the perception of how safe it is to meet people online because of the internet's increased level of anonymity. So if you want to meet someone you met online, just play it safe. Take your time to get to know someone, just like you would in real life. Phone calls are a good primer to a first meeting, and meeting each other for the first time at an event or public place is always a good (and potentially fun) idea. Just use common sense, have a backup plan, and if you've got a bad feeling, don't go.
    Allsunday
    1 response to this
  • It's people like this that keep our society from becoming what it should be, a good welcoming place for all people, no matter what sexual prefrence.
    VSBoD
  • To answer the question about meeting people from the internet in real life--it can absolutely be safe. I've met a number of people that I knew online first and they all turned out to be normal (or as normal as I expect from my friends).

    Granted, most of these meetings occurred because we happened to be in the same area at the same time, not because we set out to meet each other. They also weren't people who were on the internet just for the sake of looking to meet someone--they were all people I'd met because we had shared interests or hobbies.

    Mostly it's about common sense. Meet in a public place, and trust your gut instincts. If you have a bad feeling, don't go.
    sgwhites
  • Discretion must be practiced with chatting and meeting with people on the internet. Most people run into trouble when they are looking for quick sex and don't bother to get to know a person. If you talk to a person for AT LEAST a few months before meeting up with someone, that should be plenty of time to see holes in this person's story, if they are actually there.
    When you DO meet, of course, you should always meet in public places and make sure people know where you are, hell, if it won't be too awkward, you should even bring a friend!
    IAMROBOT
  • Not only do you get a higher chance of catching an STD you could die....all because you want to do someone.

    There needs to be a common sense class that people should take before opening their front door....

    .....because it's not only stupid to meet someone online for sex if you die, it's stupid even if you don't die. Running the risk of your life to get off is just...well...not bright and dying for it could very well mean we got rid of a couple of dumb people.

    But that's insensitive, but oh so true.
    J_Jammer
    4 responses to this
  • geez., he never stops.. he goes from doing one crime to the next.
    Eri_Soulja
  • "He has taken advantage of their sexual preferences and violated them".

    I know murder isn't a laughing matter, but I'm sorry to say I had to chuckle at that line.
    constantdisregard
    1 response to this
  • Weird. What's the lesson here?
    damnneargenius
    1 response to this
  • It's about as safe as meeting someone in a bar...
    Becky6378
  • In no way am I saying that this guy deserved what he got, however, what kind of desperate person meets someone online and then invites them into their home in the same night. Actions like say scream "I am asking for it," regardless of sexuality. I too have meet a friend online because he wanted to improve his English and I my French. We did not meet at each others home but rather Tony Roma's in crowded downtown Perth.

    That said.. when will men learn the safest sex is with Sally Palm and her five friends.
    UWAZell
    2 responses to this
  • Thats so scary cause people are crazy sometimes! especially on the internet where you can be anyone you want to be! This guy obviously gets a power trip on taking control of another man.If people dont already know its a huge risk and a bad idea meeting someone from the internet.we should be very careful!!
    Azucena
    1 response to this
  • Of course you can meet people from the internet. You just have to be safe about it. You don't just log-in, chat for an hour, then go meet them. I mean, come on folks. Use some common sense.
    brad62
  • meeting people on the internet require so much of a degree of trust from complete strangers that I don't think it can ever be completely safe. having said that, i wouldn't ever risk jumping straight into bed with a complete stranger (on or offline) without getting to know them a bit first - the potential for exploitation and the vulnerability is just too much.
    purplefox
  • You have to be so careful these days.
    Brockie
  • A similar story has happened two or three times now in NC. Only the gay victims end up floating in a river. All of them met someone from the internet.

    In my line of work I meet people from the internet on a weekly basis. I don't consider it any bigger a threat than going to the mall.

    However I feel anyone -- not just minorities -- that are emotionally invested in whom they are meeting are at greater risk for exploitation.
    kcfoxie
  • It looks like the perpetrator was a notorious criminal individual and could have done his bad works with anyone, not only gays. The point here is that he found out that gay man were easy to meet and willing to follow in a sexual solicitation. The internet it is a great tool to carve some good relationships. I would follow some of the advises already given here to be prudent and not jump in to an online relationship without really know the other part well. Initially always ask to meet the person on a populate place like a coffee shop and make sure you have a friend that knows and follow your "where abouts."
    stopnoise

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