Daily Record

THE SEX BEAST ON TINDER

Pervert joins dating app just weeks after release from prison

- BY JANE HAMILTON

A SEX attacker has been trawling for dates on Tinder just weeks after his release from prison.

Steven McGinley, 35, was freed early from a 15-month sentence for pouncing on a woman he duped into visiting his Glasgow flat. He had met his victim online.

In his profile on the dating app he describes himself as “f lirty and cheeky”.

A SEX offender who met his victim online has been branded “a danger to women” after he returned to a dating app following his release from jail.

Pervert Steven McGinley joined Tinder just weeks after he was let out of jail for attacking a woman on their first date.

They had arranged the meeting on an online dating app but after tricking his victim into a flat, he sexually assaulted and spat on her.

The victim had to flee to a nearby chip shop to get help after escaping his clutches.

McGinley, 35, was sentenced to 15 months inside – but after his early release he has gone straight back to the dating app in a bid to meet other women.

He has also set up a business selling goods via mail order and is calling himself a “director”.

Former constructi­on engineer McGinley describes himself on Tinder as “flirty and cheeky but has a deep and meaningful side”.

McGinley, originally from Scotstoun, Glasgow, was released from jail in June and in August he set up StevoSocks Ltd.

On his Tinder profile he said he is “trying to exploreore more”, doesn’t want penen pals and “if we get on I will want to meet up”.

The former soldier saidd “high vibers” andd “educated individual­s aree preferable” and claims too love dogs.

McGinley’s profile was outed on social media when someone he knew was alerted of his presence on the popular dating app.

Last night, a former friend said: “It beggars belief he is on a dating app when he met his victim on one last year. Imagine getting out of prison early and one of the first things you do is set up a Tinder to meet unsuspecti­ng women.

“He is a total creep of a guy. He doesn’t say much at all, he just stares at everyone. From his profile he seems like a good guy but after what he did to that poor lassie he shouldn’t be out of prison never mind setting up a business and looking for dates.”

The friend added: “He’d been back on Facebook but when the picture showing his profile was shared on social media, he deleted his account. He’s a danger to women and shouldn’t be allowed on anything like that.”

Last year, Glasgow Sheriff Court heard how McGinley, who was placed on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years, pounced on his victim in his flat after they’d spent an evening in bars.

His terrified victim, who was 23, fled to a nearby chip shop for help after McGinley, who had a previous sexual of fence, attacked her.

Following their night out, the woman wom wanted to go home so McGinley said he wwould accompany her to the train station. He lured her to his Whiteinch White flat to pick up a jacket.jack When they arrived, arrived she asked to use the toitoilet and, when she returned, return McGinley’s shoes were off and he started tot behave strangely. When she tried to leave, McGinley McGinl told her he would ddecide when she could gogo. Prose Prosecutor Amanda Gallagher said: “The woman went to ththe toilet and when she returned McGinley’s shoes were off.

“She asked when they were leaving and that’s when McGinley acted particular­ly erratic. He was saying things that didn’t make sense.”

The woman asked McGinley about them heading to the train station, to which he replied: “Yes but I didn’t say when.”

McGinley then jumped on top of the woman and sexually assaulted her.

He spat on her face and she fought him off before fleeing to a chip shop where she was able to call a taxi. McGinley admitted the attack in court last November and in December he was jailed for 15 months.

Free dating apps don’t screen for sex offenders because the platforms do not have access to rel iable informatio­n for background checks.

Responsibi­lity for policing the app is left to users themselves.

A spokespers­on for Tinder said: “We take members’ safety very seriously. We encourage our community to report any instance of misconduct via the self-reporting tool featured on all Tinder profiles or online.

“If a member contacts us to report any bad online or offline behaviour, our team carefully reviews the report and takes the necessary action to remove any inappropri­ate profile from our platform.

“If a crime has been committed, we encourage members to report it to local law enforcemen­t. Our team will cooperate with law enforcemen­t if they are contacted directly.

“We also encourage our members to review our safety tips, which can be found on our website and accessed through the app. More informatio­n about our safety practices can be found on our website.”

He shouldn’t be out of prison never mind looking for dates FORMER FRIEND

 ?? Steven McGinley ?? DATE WITH DANGER
Steven McGinley DATE WITH DANGER
 ??  ??
 ??  ?? TWISTED McGinley spat in victim’s face. Inset, social media alert
TWISTED McGinley spat in victim’s face. Inset, social media alert

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom