A 23-year-old man from Florida is facing a life sentence after committing a terrifying crime spree involving kidnapping, assault, and armed robbery in Georgia. Stevenson Charles pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including false imprisonment, aggravated sodomy, kidnapping, armed robbery, and aggravated assault. Last week, a judge handed him a life sentence with the possibility of parole.
This shocking case started in November 2022 when Charles met his victim through Scruff, a dating app. On November 10, they decided to meet in person. But things quickly turned violent. Prosecutors say Charles held the victim at gunpoint, forced a sexual act on him, and robbed him. He then made the man take him to his home. Once there, he kidnapped the man and his husband, stole their wedding rings, and forced them to drive him around town buying gift cards from various stores.
“This defendant’s behavior is absolutely outrageous,” said Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson in a press release. “We are pleased with this life sentence, and we hope this resolution gives justice to the individuals he targeted.”
The District Attorney also used the case as a warning to others. “Be careful not to allow yourself to become a victim by hooking up with strangers on dating apps,” she advised.
This wasn’t Charles’ first run-in with the law. In fact, he has a long history of violent crimes. In a separate case in Miami, he was convicted of carjacking, kidnapping, and robbing five victims in late 2022. According to court documents, Charles met these victims—often through Grindr, another dating app—and used a gun to force them to withdraw money from banks. One of the victims even noticed Charles was wearing a GPS ankle monitor during the attack.
Charles didn’t stop there. In one instance, he pistol-whipped a victim in the backseat of a car whenever the victim tried to lift his head. Eventually, some of the victims managed to escape and get help. In that case, a federal judge sentenced him to 45 years in prison.
Charles’ lawyer pointed out some personal struggles during the Florida trial, mentioning that Charles dropped out of school in the 8th grade, might have a learning disability, and grew up without a father, who was in prison.
These horrifying events highlight the risks of meeting strangers through dating apps and the devastating impact violent crimes have on victims and their families.
