Drug-crazed Grindr vigilante who tortured an elderly man he thought was a paedophile walks free

A misguided vigilante who used Grindr to lure an elderly man he thought was a paedophile to his house before torturing him for four hours has been given a suspended sentence.

Charlie Michael Edward Caire, 21, was also labelled a ‘remarkable young man’ by Adelaide District Court Judge Liesl Chapman on Tuesday after pleading guilty to false imprisonment, aggravated blackmail and aggravated assault.

The court heard Caire created a fake profile on gay dating app Grindr before meeting the man in his 70s in Murray Bridge, east of Adelaide, in February last year.

He then detained, blindfolded and torturing his victim with a drill, knife, taser, gas lighter and syringe he said contained AIDS, while demanding $5,000.

Caire carried out his violent offending in an act of ‘paedophile vigilante justice’ after being told the man had sexually assaulted his friend’s younger brother, the court heard.

Charlie Michael Edward Caire created a fake profile on dating app Grindr – he then met up with a man he believed had assaulted his friend’s brother and tortured the victim across four hours (stock image)

Mr Caire, 21, was given a suspended sentence in the Adelaide District Court after time served, and will be released from jail on April 21 (stock image)

The court was told no allegation was ever reported to police. 

The victim thought he was going to die as Caire bound, blindfolded, kicked and repeatedly punched him, placed his fingers between secateur blades, injected him with a syringe and tortured him with weapons such as an electric drill.

Caire was heavily under the influence of the drug ice at the time of the offending. 

The victim later described the ongoing, savage attack as the ‘most intense period of physical pain’ he had ever endured. 

The court also heard the victim was also told ‘there would be consequences’ if he did not hand over $5,000.

‘It was a brutal attack on the victim, who was particularly vulnerable because of his age,’ Judge Chapman said, according to the ABC.

‘He was harmed physically and psychologically because of your actions. ‘To put it briefly, he was terrified.’ 

Caire — who appeared via video link from Mount Gambier Prison — broke down when Judge Chapman said he was a ‘remarkable’ young man who had overcome great adversity in his life. 

Caire’s life took a turn for the worse after the breakdown of a long term relationship, the death of his father and losing his job in sales.

He then turned to drugs, spending his life savings on methamphetamine.

At the time of the assault, Caire had not slept in close to six weeks.

Given his lack of criminal history and high level of remorse, Caire was sentenced to five-years-and-six-months in prison with a non-parole period of two years and 10 months, backdated to February 2020, when he was first taken into custody. 

Judge Chapman then opted to suspend the remainder of Caire’s sentence, leaving him a free man.

Caire will be released from the Mount Gambier Prison on Wednesday where he will then travel to the District Court in Adelaide to sign a three-year good behaviour bond.