Palm Beach County authorities are urgently seeking additional victims of Stephen Hakim, a Florida man arrested and charged with sexual assault after allegedly drugging and attacking a woman he met on the dating app Hinge. The victim reported meeting Hakim, 27, on Hinge, with their conversation progressing to texts and video calls before agreeing to meet. Instead of going to a bar as planned, Hakim drove the victim to his apartment, where she recalls drinking beers and accepting a massage before feeling overwhelmingly tired and unable to move, subsequently being assaulted. Toxicology reports later confirmed the presence of multiple sleeping drugs in her system, which she did not take. Hakim, who was released on a $25,000 bond and has pleaded not guilty, is now the subject of an expanded investigation by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, who believe there may be other women who have encountered him through online dating platforms and have not yet come forward. Experts warn that while online dating is a common way to form relationships, perpetrators can exploit these platforms, and advise users to be cautious of profiles lacking detail, those who quickly move conversations offline, and to protect personal information by carefully managing photos and metadata.
Adapted from: U.S. News Today on Fox News
