Jack thought he was meeting up with someone he had matched with on a dating app... the truth was much more sinister
An Australian man says he was 'too ashamed' to tell loved ones that he was lured to a date with another man when he was attacked by a group of at least eight teens.
Jack Jacobs had made plans on February 9, 2020, to meet someone he met on Grindr, a popular dating application for gay men.
When the then-24-year-old arrived at the dinner venue in East Melbourne, he said 'something was off'.
'A group of about eight or nine teenagers ran at me. I tried to run, but they caught up quickly,' he told Daily Mail Australia on Saturday.
'They threw me to the ground and started kicking me repeatedly, including in the head.'
He called Triple-0 and a young woman, who saw him distressed, stayed with Mr Jacobs until police and ambulance services arrived.
For years, he kept the full details of the incident to himself, explaining: 'I was too ashamed.'
'I lied to my friends and family because I didn't know how to explain what had happened.'
Mr Jacobs told most people he had been randomly attacked while walking home, omitting any mention of the date.
'I didn't want anyone to judge me. I was just looking for food, not a hookup. But I knew how people could view it.'
On Wednesday, Mr Jacobs shared the full details of the experience during an interview with Network Ten's The Project.
'That was the first time my friends and family knew everything,' he said days later, adding that he had received messages of support from many loved ones.
But not everyone was kind, he said: 'One former colleague said, "Knowing Jack, he probably deserved what he got".'
Mr Jacobs said he has chosen to come forward now to raise awareness about the dangers of online dating and the responsibility of dating apps.
'What scares me is how common this violence is becoming,' he said.
'After the attack, the person's profile was deleted immediately. They must have blocked me right after. I lost all the evidence, the chats, the photos, everything.'
Following the attack, Mr Jacobs was taken to the Alfred Hospital where he was treated for head, wrist and knee injuries.
'They thought my knee was bruised, but later, I learned I'd torn two ligaments. That injury still hurts me today.'
In the days following the attack, Jack contacted the police to file a Victims of Crime report but it had never been processed.
'I found out that my statement was never filed. There was no record of it,' he said.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Victoria Police about the alleged incident but has not received specific comment.
A police spokesperson did condemn the incident in a statement, saying there is 'no place for this type of concerning behaviour in our society'.
'We treat incidents of this nature with the utmost seriousness and urge anyone who has experienced this behaviour to come forward and make a report to police so we can investigate and track down the offenders responsible,' they said.
They also said more than 30 arrests had been made since October 2024, 'in relation to attacks on men linked to the use of dating apps'.
On the same day Mr Jacobs spoke to The Project, five Perth boys were jailed for a similar incident.
The group of five boys, aged 16 and 17 at the time of the alleged incidents, are believed to have used Grindr to lure men to secluded areas, the ABC reported.
Perth Children's Court heard that the boys, who cannot be named as they are underage, then attacked victims with weapons including a knife, machete, a metal bar, pepper spray and a taser.
Daily Mail Australia does not suggest the incidents were related in any way, only that Mr Jacobs' account is indicative of an issue experienced by others in the country.
Judge Wendy Hughes condemned the teenagers' actions as cruel and calculated, telling the court the behaviour was inexcusable.
'It's really difficult to believe that given your young ages that you would be so cruel to a human being,' she said.
All five boys pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including unlawful wounding, assault causing bodily harm, aggravated armed robbery, threats with intent, distribution of an intimate image, and criminal damage.
Half a decade on from the incident, Mr Jacobs has said he now thinks twice about using online platforms and struggles to trust the other party.
'I rarely use Grindr anymore. I don't meet people online without thoroughly vetting them,' he said.
'I've become much more cautious and less trusting, and I struggle to be as social as I once was. I've had to move forward the best I can.
'I'm sharing this now because I want people to understand that these things do happen, and no one should feel alone or ashamed if it happens to them.
'There is support out there, and there are people who understand what you're going through. Reaching out for help really does make a difference.'
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