NEW HAVEN–A man has been arrested after being accused of sexually assaulting a woman he met through a dating app.
At 1:50 a.m. on Monday a woman called New Haven Police to report she had been raped. The victim, a 22-year-old woman who is from Massachusetts, said she went to meet a man she met via “Tagged,” a social media dating app. She went inside a multi-family home on Englewood Avenue with the man, and as they walked up the stairs he pulled out a gun and attacked her on the second floor landing.
The victim called police immediately after, and told them she thought the suspect was still in the building. Police found a man matching the description when he opened a door on the fourth floor. The man closed the door, but came out a short time later.
Timothy “Timmy” Turner Jr., 26, of Waterbury, was charged with aggravated sexual assault in the first degree, unlawful restraint in the first degree, threatening in the first degree, reckless endangerment in the first degree and breach of peace in the second degree.
Turner doesn’t live at the home where the assault took place; he was visiting relatives who did live there.
New Haven Police released a statement on the dangers of dating applications;
With the ever-growing popularity of dating applications and certain on-line dating sites, these crimes are being reported more and more across the country. Although we do not point fingers at the victims of such horrible crimes, it is important for us to be able to say, ‘Beware.’
One should never agree to meet a stranger at a private unfamiliar location. One should scrutinize any questionable dating app or on-line site. If you use such a dating app, arrange the meeting on your terms in a public place and make sure to tell a trusted friend your intentions and always have a plan to ensure your safety.
We do not broad-brush all such sites and applications, but just as we caution people about on-line purchases, so do we about such matters.
