Rapes, sex attacks and GBH among 120 crimes linked to Pokemon Go within just six weeks of game’s launch
Children as young as 12 have been victims while playing the virtual hunting game
AT least 120 crimes including alleged rapes have been linked to Pokemon Go within six weeks of its launch.
Kids as young as 12 have been subjected to indecent assaults and attacks including GBH.
There has also been a wave of thefts and robberies, while some kids have witnessed crimes while hunting the game’s virtual monsters.
In our investigation using Freedom of Information, police in England and Wales were asked about crimes involving Pokemon Go in the six weeks after it was launched on July 13.
We told how Carl Gregory, 20, was killed while playing the game in Broadstairs, Kent, on Tuesday.
Two men are accused of his murder.
Kent had the most Pokemon-linked crimes, with 17.
One victim was an 18-year-old woman allegedly raped by a 19-year-old man she met at a Pokemon event.
There were 15 offences in Hampshire, 14 in the Thames Valley and 13 in Surrey.
West Midlands police, which had seven crimes, said: “If you are going Pokemon hunting, especially children, it’s advisable to go out with friends and not alone.”
The total figure is likely to be much higher as several forces did not respond.