[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.brodenmickelsen.com\/blog\/man-from-dallas-admits-hate-crimes-after-using-app-to-target-gay-men\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.brodenmickelsen.com\/blog\/man-from-dallas-admits-hate-crimes-after-using-app-to-target-gay-men\/","headline":"Man from Dallas Admits Hate Crimes After Using App to Target Gay Men","name":"Man from Dallas Admits Hate Crimes After Using App to Target Gay Men","description":"A federal case in Texas illustrates how the internet has widened the scope of hate crime laws in the United States. A man from Dallas pleaded guilty this month to one hate crime stemming from a scheme that targeted gay men on the dating app Grindr. Daniel Jenkins, 22, pleaded guilty to one hate crime...","datePublished":"2021-06-07","dateModified":"2022-09-12","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.brodenmickelsen.com\/blog\/author\/kissprblog\/#Person","name":"Broden & Mickelsen, LLP","url":"https:\/\/www.brodenmickelsen.com\/blog\/author\/kissprblog\/","identifier":11,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/bd70e3cfe21ebfb97a169f95da73c8b9fdb6accce8b9ecb2173146feb882a8ea?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/bd70e3cfe21ebfb97a169f95da73c8b9fdb6accce8b9ecb2173146feb882a8ea?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Broden, Mickelsen LLP","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.brodenmickelsen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Broden-and-Mickelsen-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/www.brodenmickelsen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Broden-and-Mickelsen-Logo.png","width":378,"height":77}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.brodenmickelsen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/man-from-dallas-admits-hate-crimes-after-using-app-to-target-gay-men.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.brodenmickelsen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/man-from-dallas-admits-hate-crimes-after-using-app-to-target-gay-men.jpg","height":333,"width":500},"url":"https:\/\/www.brodenmickelsen.com\/blog\/man-from-dallas-admits-hate-crimes-after-using-app-to-target-gay-men\/","about":["Criminal Defense"],"wordCount":587,"keywords":["Criminal Charges","Criminal Defense Lawyer in Dallas","hate crimes","Texas criminal defense attorney"],"articleBody":"A federal case in Texas illustrates how the internet has widened the scope of hate crime laws in the United States.A man from Dallas pleaded guilty this month to one hate crime stemming from a scheme that targeted gay men on the dating app Grindr.Daniel Jenkins, 22, pleaded guilty to one hate crime count, kidnapping, carjacking, conspiracy, and one count of using a firearm during an act of violence, the news channel CBS DFW reported. He is the last of four defendants to plead guilty under the scheme, according to the channel.The U.S. Department of Justice accuses the men of hate crimes because they singled out victims on the app due to their sexual orientation.\u201cThese defendants brutalized multiple victims, singling them out due to their sexual orientation. We cannot allow this sort of violence to fester unchecked,\u201d said Acting U.S. Attorney Prerak Shah in a statement. \u201cThe Department of Justice is committed to prosecuting hate crimes. In the meantime, we urge dating app users to remain vigilant. Unfortunately, predators often lurk online.\u201dAssistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department\u2019s Civil Rights Division reaffirmed the department\u2019s commitment to fighting hate-based violence.\u201cThe Department of Justice and the Civil Rights Division are committed to confronting the scourge of hate-based violence gripping communities across our nation,\u201d she said. \u201cWe denounce hate-based violence in all of its forms, including violence targeting individuals based on sexual orientation and gender identity. We will continue to diligently investigate and prosecute violent, bias-motivated crimes to the fullest extent. As noted by Attorney General Garland, we stand ready to use every tool in our arsenal to address the rise in hate and we will work to hold perpetrators of hate-motivated violence accountable.\u201dAccording to documents filed in connection with his guilty plea, Jenkins admitted that he and his co-conspirators used Grindr to lure gay men to an empty apartment and other locations in and around Dallas for robbery, kidnapping, carjacking, and hate crimes over the course of a week in December 2017. Grindr is a social media dating platform used mainly by gay men.The United States Attorney\u2019s Office stated Jenkins admitted he held victims against their will along with the other defendants. He said he pointed a handgun at the victims and stole their personal property.The defendants took vehicles; and traveled to local ATMs to withdraw money from the victims\u2019 accounts. Jenkins also admitted that he and his co-conspirators physically hurt at least one victim and taunted their victims based upon the co-conspirators\u2019 perception of the men\u2019s homosexuality.In 2019, Jenkins\u2019 co-conspirator Michael Atkinson entered a guilty plea to conspiracy and kidnapping charges. Daryl Henry and Pablo Ceniceros-Deleon also pleaded guilty to committing a federal hate crime and other offenses in connection with the case. A sentencing hearing has been set for June 23 for the three men.Jenkins\u2019 sentencing is set for Oct. 6. Under the terms of the plea agreement, he faces a sentence of up to 26 years in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office.Texas has a dedicated hate crimes act. However, these crimes are often investigated at a federal level. These crimes typically carry long prison terms. They are complicated crimes. Always hire a criminal defense lawyer who has a long track record of defending defendants in federal cases. Broden & Mickelsen, LLP have handled hundreds of federal criminal cases, not only in Dallas and other Texas cities but in federal courts around the United States. Call us at (214) 720-9552."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/www.brodenmickelsen.com\/blog\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Man from Dallas Admits Hate Crimes After Using App to Target Gay Men","item":"https:\/\/www.brodenmickelsen.com\/blog\/man-from-dallas-admits-hate-crimes-after-using-app-to-target-gay-men\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]