Grindr 'catfish' convicted of raping young boy

A "predatory paedophile" who "catfished" a boy on Grindr to trick him into a meeting has been convicted of rape.

Liverpool Crown Court heard Abdul Omarkhil, 36, used a false name and the photograph of a much younger man on the dating app.

Jurors were told Omarkhil ignored his victim - described by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) as a "very young teenager" - when he said he did not want to have sex.

Omarkhil, of Canal Reach in Runcorn, Cheshire, was found guilty of rape and will be sentenced at the same court on 8 April.

The CPS said that while the victim had claimed to be 18 on Grindr, he had used his own photographs, including one of him in his school uniform.

Alex Morgan, from the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) unit at CPS Mersey Cheshire, said: "The victim was an adolescent boy, exploring his sexuality, and acting in a way that is in hindsight, perhaps, reckless, going on to an adult dating app and pretending to be older.

"Omarkhil preyed on this child, taking advantage of his immaturity and vulnerability."

The court heard Omarkhil and the boy arranged to meet one evening in October 2024.

After texting friends to say he was unsure whether to go ahead with the meeting, the nervous teenager decided to press on.

The court heard it was getting dark when he met Omarkhil.

When Omarkhil flashed his torch on his own face, the boy realised the man was much older than 18.

The terrified boy cried and asked Omarkhil to stop, pleas which were ignored.

When Omarkhil eventually left the scene, the boy made his way home, still crying, and contacted a friend.

His sister then insisted he should go to the police.

When Omarkhil was later arrested, he was heard to say: "I'm going to prison for a long time."

The following month, however, he denied raping the boy, resulting in the trial.

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