Women drugged, raped by cardiologist file lawsuit against online dating apps
Six women who were drugged and sexually assaulted by Denver cardiologist Stephen Matthews are filing a civil lawsuit against Matthews and the dating apps he repeatedly used to find his victims. Hinge, Tinder and parent companies IAC and Match Group are all listed as defendants.
The women claim IAC, Match Group, Hinge and Tinder all failed to protect users and created an environment that was “hospitable to serial predators.” In addition, the lawsuit points to “defective and inferior” safety features that make it challenging—and sometimes impossible—to report users who displaying inappropriate or abusive behavior.
“Match Group knew Matthews was using its products to find victims to drug and rape,” according to an online statement by C.A Goldberg, PLLC, a firm representing four of the six women. “And Match Group let it happen.”
Match Group is the parent company of multiple popular online dating resources, including Hinge, Tinder, OKCupid and Plenty of Fish. In the lawsuit, this is highlighted as the “world’s largest online dating monopoly.”
The legal team that filed this lawsuit is demanding a jury trial.
Claims against cardiologist first came out in 2023
Matthews used online dating to meet his victims. This case first made headlines in April 2023, when a woman came forward with her story of getting into a hot tub with Matthews during a date and then losing consciousness for several hours. She did not immediately go to the police with her story. However, after learning that a friend’s mother had a similar encounter with Matthews a few years prior, she reached out to the authorities.
The Denver Police Department quickly determined there could be a large number of victims who had previous encounters with Matthews. In the end, he was accused of drugging 11 different women and then sexually assaulting nine of them. The actions all occurred from 2019 to 2023.
Stephen Matthews. Image courtesy of the Colorado Department of Corrections.
Cardiologist sentenced to prison in 2024
In October 2024, Matthews was sentenced to 158 years to life in prison. The jury deliberated for more than three days before finding him guilty of 35 different counts. He was ultimately convicted for drugging 10 women and then sexually assaulting eight of them.
“You have diminished this world,” Judge Eric Johnson said as he announced the sentence. “You hurt our society. It is a darker place because of you.”
Match Group releases statement: ‘We are committed to strengthening our safety efforts’
Match Group has shared a statement with the media that addresses these allegations:
“Any report of sexual assault or violence is heartbreaking and deeply concerning. Safety is foundational to the trust our users place in us and is critical to the success of our business, which is why we have a comprehensive suite of safety tools in place and continue to invest heavily in this area. We are committed to strengthening our safety efforts, building innovative new technology, and working closely with industry partners to help protect our users. We will always look for ways to improve our systems and help our community stay safe both online and when they connect in real life.”
Michael has more than 19 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.