Ethan Jeffs, Thomas Bull and Patrick Paul Moloney were all given less than a year’s home detention for attacks on gay men lured via Grindr.
Three young men who targeted gay men through the dating app Grindr and filmed violent assaults for online distribution have been sentenced to home detention by the Tauranga District Court.
Ethan Jeffs, Thomas Bull and Patrick Paul Moloney were handed sentences ranging from eight-and-a-half to 10 months’ home detention after pleading guilty to a series of offences, including assault, injuring with intent to injure, and posting harmful digital communications. The incidents occurred between August and September 2024 and were described by multiple judges as constituting a hate crime and causing significant emotional harm to the victims.
The trio posed as members of a vigilante group they dubbed the “Tauranga Paedophile Catchers”, mimicking the style of the American television programme To Catch a Predator. However, rather than cooperating with law enforcement, they created fake profiles on Grindr to lure men to secluded locations, where they were physically assaulted. Victims were filmed, and the footage was posted on social media.
A summary of facts presented to the court revealed that the attacks involved punches, kicks, stomps, slaps, and verbal abuse. In one case, a victim was forced to strip naked.
The group coordinated their actions via a Snapchat group called “Freaky Group”, where they discussed their plans to “catch” so-called paedophiles. However, none of the incidents involved actual sting operations or verified allegations.
The court was told the offences were not isolated, with similar activity occurring in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch. While not all victims were identified, the summary noted 13 separate attacks.
Judges Condemn Attacks as Hate Crimes
Judge Stephen Coyle, who sentenced Ethan Jeffs in November, directly addressed the nature of the attacks. “It was the targeting of gay men, and the clear conclusion I have reached is that this was a hate crime,” he said.
Jeffs’ lawyer, Rachael Adams, argued that the aim was to expose paedophiles, not target gay men, and claimed the group used Grindr because it was free. However, Judge Coyle rejected that reasoning, stating, “While I accept the comments made were clearly designed to imply that these people had a sexual interest in minors, I can’t divorce that from the fact that you targeted gay men.”
Judge Melinda Mason, who sentenced Bull, previously gave a sentencing indication in June. “That you could see people hurt like that and encourage everyone to behave in that way, which to me did look like a real hate crime – the words that you used and the behaviour that you kept encouraging – and you did it more than once,” she said.
Judge Paul Geoghegan, who sentenced Moloney in August, said: “To describe these assaults as despicable and cowardly is something of an understatement.”
Youth and Rehabilitation Considered
All three defendants were between 18 and 19 years old at the time of the offences. Each received sentencing discounts due to their age and guilty pleas.
Bull, who faced the most charges, was sentenced to eight-and-a-half months’ home detention. Judge Mason noted that he had shown significant change since his initial court appearance, undergoing treatment for previously undiagnosed mental health issues and participating in a rehabilitation programme.
Moloney, who had recently become a father, was sentenced to nine months’ home detention. Judge Geoghegan told him to consider the example he was setting for his child. “Think about how you would feel if your child was dealt with in the way that you dealt with the victims,” he said.
Jeffs was sentenced to 10 months’ home detention. Judge Coyle said there was little evidence of remorse, describing his conduct as “humiliating and disrespecting other people,” and noted that Jeffs had returned for further assaults after the first.
