SAN ANTONIO — Selma, San Antonio and now Fredericksburg law enforcement agencies are investigating a man accused of catfishing women on a dating app and stealing from them.
Chong-Yun Mounce is currently facing charges of online impersonation, fraudulent use of identification and sexual assault out of Bexar County.
San Antonio police said in San Antonio and Selma, Mounce is accused of pretending to be “Michael” on Tinder who is a 6” white male with brown hair and blue eyes.
According to court documents, he convinces women he matches with to meet up with him. In several cases, they meet up at a motel or hotel. The documents state he has the women blindfold themselves before he arrives.
Investigators said once he gets there, he ties them up then proceeds to steal their credit cards or phones. In one case, he withdrew nearly $1,000 from a victim’s phone using Cash App.
In one case out of San Antonio, police said he sexually assaulted his victim. The arrest affidavit states once the victim was engaged in sexual acts with the suspect, “the victim realized the actor’s stature did not match the body type he purported to be.”
Investigators said she withdrew her consent, but the suspect continued to assault her.
Fredericksburg Police said in a press release Thursday night, they are looking to see if a case back in December is connected to Mounce.
In that case, the victim said she believed she was talking to a man named “Tim” on Tinder back in December.
Detectives in Fredericksburg are working to confirm “Tim” was in fact, Mounce.
Criminology professor at St. Mary’s University, Colton Daniels, said these crimes involving dating apps are on the rise because the apps are becoming so popular.
“You have to look at, why do people use dating apps to begin, and it's simply, they’re incredibly convenient,” Daniels said.
Daniels said it is easy to manipulate people using an app. He said many times the victims feel as if they can trust the person they are talking to.
“On the downside, and where we are starting to see deviant and criminal pick up, anyone can create an account,” Daniels said.
He said it is important victims come forward and report these crimes.
“Because of anything, think this is probably happening to someone else,” Daniels said.
San Antonio Police said more victims could be out there. If you believe you are a victim, you are asked to contact the special victims crime unit at (210)-207-2313.