Tinder Predator Jailed for Life After Targeting Newborn
A 34-year-old man has been sentenced to life imprisonment after using the dating app Tinder to target a new mother and sexually abuse her newborn child. Christopher Phillips deliberately sought out mothers on the platform, identifying vulnerable women and exploiting their trust to gain access to their babies, a court heard.
Phillips focused on one mother after seeing a photo of her holding her newborn, later referred to in court as Baby C. He went on to commit a series of offences against the infant, causing injuries so severe they were described as being comparable to “hit by a bus.”
Judge Paul Thomas KC, who handed down the life sentence on Friday, described the case as the “most distressing” of his 40-year career. The severity of the crimes, combined with the calculated manipulation of the child’s mother, made the case particularly harrowing for all involved.
Reading a victim statement in court, the baby’s grandmother said the ordeal had brought “absolute horror and devastation” to the family, underlining the emotional toll of Phillips’ actions.
The case has sparked renewed concern over the safety of online platforms and how predators can exploit social media and dating apps to target vulnerable individuals, highlighting the urgent need for vigilance and robust child protection measures.
