A 20 year old Perth man, James Joseph Katchan, has pleaded guilty to five violent assaults where gay men were targeted through the dating app Grindr.

The West Australian has reported that Katchan appeared in court, while another man, Cody Parkinson who was accused of being involved in the attacks, also made an appearance.

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Katchan appeared in the Western Australian Disctrict Court yesterday and pleaded guilty to the five attacks, four of which occurred in a ten day period in January.

Men were approached on Grindr and then lured to public spaces with the promise of sex. Once they arrived at the rendezvous they were attacked. One victim was left with bleeding on the brain, while another was struck with a modified baseball bat.

Also pleading guilty to taking part in the last of the five assaults was nineteen year old Cody Parkinson (pictured).

Parkison’s image was used to lure a victim, a 57 year old man, to a park on March 5th. Where he was set upon by four men who kicked and punched him before leaving him for dead.

The man who was assaulted was initially approached by Parkinson, while Katchan and two others hid behind bushes.

They then allegedly revealed themselves and declared they were a local group that guarded the area from “faggots and paedophiles”. All four men then attacked the man, kicking and punching him.

The other two men have also been charged over the attack but are yet to appear in court.

The final attack involving four men was the last in a string of assaults that Katchan was involved in. The court heard that between January 11th and 31st this year, Katchan set up and assaulted four different victims.

Judge Vicki Stewart has adjourned sentencing until next month describing the assaults as a very serious crimes.

OIP Staff