Horrifying Reason Why You Shouldn't Pose with A Child On Your Dating Profile: Man Jailed For Life After Raping Tinder Date's 10-Month-Old

A man who deliberately used Tinder to gain access to a baby after spotting a photo of a new mother holding her child has been jailed for life, in a case a senior judge said was the most distressing of his career. The offender, Christopher Phillips, targeted the woman after seeing the image on her dating profile and later inflicted catastrophic injuries on her infant, prompting doctors to liken the harm to being 'hit by a bus'.

How the Offender Targeted His Victim

As cited by Metro UK, Prosecutors Caroline Rees KC told Swansea Crown Court that Phillips, 34, joined Tinder with a clear purpose. She said he was 'actively looking for a baby' and became fixated after viewing a photograph of the woman holding her child. Court records show he pursued contact, repeatedly messaging and pressuring her as the relationship developed.

The court heard that Phillips 'pestered and pestered' the mother to leave the child alone with him and demanded to be allowed to change the baby unsupervised. Prosecutors said this pattern of behaviour demonstrated planning and manipulation, with the offender exploiting trust formed through the dating app.

Baby Rushed to Hospital with Severe Injuries

In January 2021, the infant was taken to hospital with a catalogue of appalling injuries. Medical evidence presented to the jury described extensive trauma, including severe injuries to the anus and genitals, multiple fractures and a bleed on the brain. Doctors identified fractures to the ankle and wrist, six fractured ribs and a fractured skull.

Clinicians told the court the scale of the injuries was consistent with extreme force and could not be explained by accident. The medical findings formed a central part of the prosecution case and were described as among the most serious seen in a child of that age.

Judge Describes 'Grotesque Sexual Perversion'

Sentencing Phillips, Judge Paul Thomas KC said the injuries were inflicted on an 'utterly defenceless baby' so the offender could 'satisfy your grotesque sexual perversion'. He told the court that, in more than 40 years of judicial experience, the case had shaken him 'to my core'.

Phillips was jailed for life with a minimum term of 16 years and warned he may never be released, reflecting the gravity of the offences and the ongoing risk he poses.

Guilty Verdicts and Acquittals

The jury convicted Phillips of two offences of sexual assault by penetration and offences of causing grievous bodily harm with intent. He was acquitted of two additional counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and two alternative offences of inflicting grievous bodily harm.

The baby's mother was found not guilty of allowing her child to suffer serious physical harm and of child neglect. The court accepted that she had been targeted and manipulated.

Family Impact Statement

In a statement read to the court, the child's grandmother said the case had brought 'absolute horror and devastation to the family'. The court acknowledged the long-term impact on the child and relatives, noting that the consequences of the crimes would be felt for years to come.

Online Dating Safety Context

The case has intensified scrutiny of online dating safety amid growing evidence that offenders are exploiting matchmaking platforms. Researchers are calling for stricter regulation of dating apps after a new report co-led by UNSW Sydney found that men who sexually offend against children are using online matchmaking services at disproportionately high rates.

Safeguarding specialists say the findings underscore concerns about how digital platforms can be misused to identify and target vulnerable parents, particularly when personal images involving children are publicly visible on dating profiles.