I have explained in many of my previous posts how important it is for people to check the criminal records of individuals they meet on online dating sites or dating apps like Tinder, Bumble and Grinder. This article from Time Magazine is unfortunately yet another example of how dangerous online dating can be.
The article tells the story of a 24-year-old woman who was held hostage in a hotel room, and repeatedly raped, choked and burned by a man she met on a dating site. The name of the dating site was not mentioned in the article. However, it is obvious that this site, like most other dating sites, does not conduct any kind of inquiry into the backgrounds of its users, and does not utilize any kind of mechanism to identify individuals with potential criminal records.
The perpetrator has an extensive history of arrests and charges for sexual assaults dating back to 2001 and 2002 when he was still a juvenile. Furthermore, he was charged just last year after a woman accused him of raping and strangling her. This case was dismissed when the accuser declined to move forward, but there would still be a record of the charge if a criminal records search was conducted.
If the victim had run a background check on this perpetrator, she would have never decided to meet him. Criminal records are public records, which means that it is legal to run one for any reason. As I have mentioned before, background checks can be done cheaply, accurately and efficiently, so there is no reason to roll the dice when using online dating sites or apps.
If you found this article interesting, please be sure to check out my other articles here.
If you need to run a background check for personal or employment purposes, or if you need more information on our services, please call us at 1-800-348-0511 or email us at info@PrecisionBackgroundScreening.com. You may also forward your inquiries via our contact form.