Lafayette Man Pleads Guilty to Kidnapping Gay Man As A Scheme to Kidnap & Murder Grindr Users
A Lafayette man has pleaded guilty to kidnapping in a case where he told authorities his intentions to use Grindr to kidnap and kill gay men.
The case concerning the victim identified only as H.W. revealed that 21-year-old Chance Seneca was planning to use the dating app Grindr to kidnap and murder gay men.
He told authorities he would not stop doing this until he was caught or killed.
According to officials with the U.S. Justice Department, Seneca admitted that he would continue to lure gay and bisexual men using the Grindr app to harm and ultimately kill them.
In this kidnapping case, Seneca admitted to authorities he picked up the victim, drove him to an isolated home, and then pulled a gun on the victim. Seneca demanded that the victim put on handcuffs.
Authorities say that on June 20, 2020, Seneca tried to murder and dismember the victim.
U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana Brandon Brown said,
The facts surrounding the events that took place in this case are very disturbing. It is nothing short of miraculous that the victims who endured the vicious attacks from this defendant survived.
You can click here to read our coverage of the case.
Seneca will be sentenced in January of next year. The maximum sentence for kidnapping is life in prison.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division says,
The internet should be accessible and safe for all American, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation.
Officials with the U.S. Attorney's Office say Seneca could face additional charges "if the sentencing court finds beyond a reasonable doubt that he intentionally selected the victim because of the victim's actual or perceived gender or sexual orientation."
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