Press Release

QUEENS MAN INDICTED FOR SEXUALLY ASSAULTING AND ROBBING TWO VICTIMS HE MET ON “GRINDR” AND “LOCANTO”

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced today that Jadu Davindra, 34, has been indicted by a Queens County grand jury and arraigned in Supreme Court on criminal sexual acts, robbery and other charges for allegedly forcing a stranger he met on an online dating app to engage in sexual acts before demanding money. The defendant has also been indicted on charges of robbery and grand larceny for stealing over $1,000 worth of personal property from a second victim he met on a classified advertisement website.

District Attorney Katz said, “Although social networking platforms help us create new connections, this case serves as a dark reminder that these apps are often exploited for brazen criminal activity. As alleged, this defendant used several apps to sexually assault, threaten and rob two unsuspecting victims, causing not only physical but psychological trauma. The defendant has been indicted on serious charges and faces prison time if convicted.”

Jadu, of 107th Avenue in Richmond Hill, Queens, was arraigned today before Queens Supreme Court Justice Ushir Pandit-Durant on a nine-count indictment charging him with two counts of criminal sexual act in the first degree, two counts of robbery in the first degree, two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, two counts of menacing in the second degree and one count of grand larceny in the fourth degree. Justice Pandit-Durant ordered the defendant to return to Court on November 1, 2022. If convicted, the defendant faces consecutive prison sentences of 25 years for each victim.

According to the charges, on the night of May 20, 2021, the defendant met victim #1 over Grindr, and the two agreed to meet in person at the defendant’s home later that night. While at the apartment, after an initially consensual sexual encounter, the defendant then ordered the victim to undress, restrained him with a belt, and forced him to engage in non-consensual oral and anal acts.  The defendant also threatened the victim with a pair of scissors and demanded the victim transfer him a sum of money using an app on his phone.

Continuing, DA Katz said, on the evening of October 27, 2021, the defendant and a second victim agreed to meet in person at the victim’s apartment after connecting on a classified advertisement website, Locanto. Following a consensual sexual encounter, Jadu allegedly displayed a knife and demanded money. The victim the victim fled his apartment and sought help. Later, the victim observed the defendant running from his apartment. Multiple personal items belonging to the victim were missing upon his return to the apartment.

The defendant, who was out on bail following an arrest over the first incident, surrendered himself to a local precinct on November 17, 2021.

Assistant District Attorney Sean K. Jaime, of the District Attorney’s Special Victims Bureau, is prosecuting the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Eric C. Rosenbaum, Bureau Chief, Debra Pomodore, Senior Deputy Bureau Chief, Brian Hughes, Deputy Bureau Chief, and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Daniel A. Saunders.

SPECIAL NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC: If you believe that you have been a victim of similar criminal activity, contact our Special Victims Bureau at SpecialVictims@queensda.org or 718.286.6505 or the NYPD Queens Special Victim’s Squad at 718-520-9277.

**Criminal complaints and indictments are accusations. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.