TV presenter Tim den Besten accused of identity theft on Grindr dating app

Dutch television presenter Tim den Besten allegedly misused the identities of several men on the dating app Grindr for a year and a half, Het Parool reported on Wednesday. Three men have filed a complaint against the presenter.

The 36-year-old presenter mainly hosts TV programs and documentaries on VPRO. He is known for making the documentaries "Een man weet niet wat hij mist," "Oudtopia," and "Gay-K."

According to Het Parool, Den Besten is said to have had explicit conversations on the dating app Grindr using the names and photos of three other men over a period of a year and a half. The three men were approached by people who believed they had had conversations with them on the dating app. This is how they discovered that their identity was being misused.

The conversations, in the possession of Het Parool, that took place using their identities had very explicit content. “They now believe I organize orgies every weekend,” a victim told Het Parool. He said that at least nine men thought they had talked to him on the dating app.

The men suspected that Den Besten was behind these fake Grindr profiles when the presenter pretended that all three were at the same party. The men contacted each other and discovered that they had all spoken to Den Besten before. He also followed them on social media, which gave him access to their photos. These images were said to have been used by Den Besten, according to the newspaper.

The men told Het Parool that they were able to find out via Grindr that the messages were sent from the presenter's home address. The three men contacted him and asked him to stop. After a short break, the presenter reactivated the fake accounts in mid-September.

The victims told the newspaper they are suffering mentally from this situation, and two admitted to being in therapy because of it. They all filed a complaint in August.

The police confirmed that three complaints have been filed against Den Besten. “We are investigating the reports and what possible criminal offenses are involved,” a spokesperson told Het Parool. “We have not yet decided on this together with the Public Prosecution Service.”

According to VPRO, Den Besten has not been working since October 10 due to illness. The public broadcaster said they were not aware of any reports. "This takes place within the private sphere of Tim den Besten," a spokesperson said.

Den Besten did not respond to Het Parool's requests for comment on the accusations. Het Parool also contacted his lawyer, who revealed that Den Besten has a rare form of cancer and that the “illness has a major impact on his mental health.”