The STOP AIDS Project will hold an Internet personal safety workshop on Wednesday April 4 to help address what some are calling an increase in crimes originating via online hook-up sites for gay and bisexual men. “There is a degree of trust involved in inviting someone home that you’ve just met. It’s a trust that gay and bisexual men have had with each other for generations and it is a part of our culture,” said Michael Scarce, Internet intervention coordinator at STOP AIDS Project. “Unfortunately, some people take advantage of that trust, with sometimes tragic consequences.”

The workshop, entitled “Missing: Internet Personal Safety,” will offer participants strategies to protect themselves, their health, and their belongings, as well as prevent identity theft, deter stalking, and make hooking up online safer for everyone.

“We have seen some severe cases of violence and crime that have originated via online hook-ups,” said Tina D’Elia, hate violence survivor program director of Community United Against Violence. She said the incidents reported to CUAV are likely just the tip of the iceberg. “I am sure there are cases we never even hear of,” she said. “We are probably dealing with repeat offenders who do not do things like this just once.” She added, “I have grave concerns about anyone being targeted in any way, especially via the Internet, because the Internet can attract people seeking anonymity - the very thing most perpetrators desire in their victims.”

Inquiries with the FBI San Francisco field office, Secret Service, and San Francisco Police Department have yielded no official information about the frequency or severity of crimes occurring via Internet hook-up sites. Currently, pick-up crimes originating online are reported to several law enforcement agencies and any number of police units including the fraud unit, sexual assault unit, burglary unit, and robbery unit. The ways that crime statistics are collected also make it very difficult to get a sense of severity, trends, and types of online pick-up crimes experienced in the gay community.

“It seems to be common knowledge in law enforcement that the vast majority of Internet dating crimes are perpetrated against gay men,” said Scarce. “The concern is that there doesn’t seem to be a coordinated tracking of the problem, let alone a coordinated response.”

The topic of Internet personal safety for gay men is emerging as a local and national issue on several fronts. In February, Manhunt, a popular personals site for gay men, sent their members an email containing hook-up safety tips against identity theft. In January, the Leather Men’s Discussion Group held a roundtable session on Internet safety. Internet Sexuality Information Services has produced a brochure with tips on Internet safety. Nationally, the state of New Jersey is considering a bill that would require personals sites to state whether or not the site runs background checks on members. Last October, a popular personals site was the meeting place for a group of New York City perpetrators to meet and rob gay men, one of whom was robbed and murdered by the group. Similar crimes have been reported in many cities and states.

“Officially, we can’t say if there is an increased trend or not: if certain websites are targeted for crimes more than others; if certain neighborhoods are targeted for this type of crime; or if the perpetrators tend to be gay or straight,” said Scarce. “Given the severity of these crimes, shouldn’t we be able to answer at least a few of these questions and then take the appropriate actions if we need to?”

Scarce will lead STOP AIDS Project’s workshop. He has coordinated a rape education program, is the author of “Male on Male Rape: The Hidden Toll of Stigma and Shame,” and is a recognized expert in violence prevention. D’Elia will discuss services available for those who have been victimized in some way and offer prevention tips as well.

For more information on the upcoming workshop or on issues related to safety in cyberspace, contact Michael Scarce at (415) 575-0750 or email mscarce@ stopaids.org.