Latest news with #Craigieburn
The Guardian
3 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Victorian man sentenced for attacks on men he met on Grindr says TikTok vigilante videos inspired him
A 19-year-old Victorian man who met and assaulted two people after speaking to them on the gay dating app Grindr admitted to police he had been inspired by vigilante-style videos he had seen on TikTok. Christian Keryakus pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary, common assault and recklessly causing injury after two attacks on men last June in Victoria. He said he had been inspired by TikTok and YouTube influencer who posts videos luring men to meet through Grindr before assaulting them, often with others involved. According to a county court judgment published on Monday, Keryakus chatted to the first victim on Grindr before moving to Snapchat where he could see the victim's location. The conversation was sexual in nature, and Keryakus sent a photo of a 15-year-old boy instead of himself. The pair did not arrange to meet but Keryakus went to the victim's house, having obtained his location from Snapchat. He falsely accused the victim of being a 'paedo' as he entered the home with three other men. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email He demanded the victim give him $20,000 and one of the other men – who has not been identified or charged – punched the victim in the face. The victim's Nintendo Switch and wallet were stolen. On the same night, Keryakus chatted to the second victim on Grindr and, after 30 minutes of messaging, they arranged to meet in a field in Craigieburn. The victim was confronted on arrival and falsely accused of messaging an underage male, and Keryakus demanded the victim's mobile phone. Five males approached the victim and punched, hit, kicked and struck him with a cricket bat, while Keryakus videoed the attack until passersby intervened. Police traced the Snapchat account used to Keryakus's phone number and address, and found screenshots on his phoneof him chatting to other males on dating apps and the video recording of the second attack. After Keryakus was arrested he was placed in a cell with a police covert operative. Keryakus told the operative he was 'inspired by TikTok videos to create profiles on gay dating apps and pretend to be a 15-year-old boy in order to draw out paedophiles'. He later told police in an interview that he had got the idea from TikTok and had done it because 'they're just paedophiles'. In her ruling, Judge Sarah Dawes said she had been told Keryakus's actions were inspired by a TikTok and YouTube personality known as Vitaly, 'who is known for streaming online pranks and vigilantism'. 'It appears that you thought you were superior to the victims that you dealt with and that at the time of your misconduct you tried to take the law into your own hands to dispense justice in this inappropriate fashion,' she said. Vitaly Zdorovetskiy, a Russian-US online influencer has 9.4m likes and 348,300 followers on TikTok and 10.2 million subscribers on YouTube, with a reported 1.5bn video views on the platform. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion YouTube and TikTok were approached for comment. The New York Times reported in March that there had been more than 170 violent vigilante attacks of this kind in the US since 2023, quoting one alleged attacker as saying he was like an 'unfiltered' version of Zdorovetskiy's live streams of 'paedophile hunting' on the streaming website Kick. Zdorovetskiy's Kick page was not online at the time of reporting. His TikTok, YouTube and Instagram pages were still available. The Philippine government-run news agency reported on Sunday that Zdorovetskiy could face months of jail time after being arrested in April over three counts of unjust vexation for 'harassing and assaulting Filipinos for content'. Since the Victorian attacks, Keryakus had expressed remorse for his actions, the judgment said, and recognised it was not his 'responsibility to arrest individuals or engage in vigilante justice'. He was sentenced to a community corrections order of two and a half years, including 250 hours of unpaid community work. The conviction comes as Victoria police reported making more than 35 arrests in the past few months in association with attacks on men people had allegedly arranged to meet on Grindr under false pretences before allegedly assaulting them. Grindr users are required to specify that they are 18 or older but the platform does not verify their ages or identities. Grindr has been issuing in-app warnings in Australia in the past few months alerting people to the attacks.
News.com.au
5 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Why Frankston, Tarneit and Craigieburn are hot picks for Melbourne's young property buyers
Millennials and Gen Z might have a tougher road to property ownership than their parents, but experts say there are still ways to trade up to even some of Melbourne's wealthiest areas. You just need to know where to look. In Craigieburn, the 2025 median house price sits at $610,000 — six times the nation's about $100,000 average annual wage. In Tarneit, the typical house costs $645,000, with other other suburbs offering a more affordable starting point including Wyndham Vale, $607,000, Pakenham, $590,000, Werribee, $610,000, and Frankston, $715,000. And with access to infrastructure, lifestyle amenities and growing populations, there's potential for those prices to grow. Ray White Frankston agent George Devic said demand was strong in the Frankston area, particularly from younger buyers and investors. 'If you stay sub-$850,000, you're seeing a lot of first-home buyers and both local and interstate investors in the market,' Mr Devic said. 'Buyers are active, and we're seeing the whole suburb remain attractive, from entry-level homes to blue-chip pockets.' PropTrack senior economist Eleanor Creagh added that while buyers entering the market today were unlikely to see the same exponential gains as their parents, real estate was still a powerful long-term investment. 'Getting into the market remains a crucial first step, and with the right purchase in the right location, there's certainly potential to build wealth over time,' Ms Creagh said. 'Even if the journey looks different, the principle of long-term equity growth still holds true.' The concept relies on a relatively affordable investment gaining value over a long period of time. If a person can acquire multiple homes it could eventually allow them to sell the group of more affordable residences to fund a home in a much pricier neighbourhood. M R Advocacy director and buyers' agent Madeleine Roberts said young Australians were finding new ways to build wealth, from rentvesting to buying in future lifestyle suburbs. 'I grew up in Rye, back then it was a sleepy beach town. Now it's a million-dollar suburb,' Ms Roberts said. 'It shows how much potential lies in lifestyle-driven areas that were once overlooked.' The buyer's agent added that younger buyers were 'more investment-minded' than previous generations. 'They know the dream home isn't going to magically land in their lap,' she said. 'They're using property as a wealth-building tool, it's about being strategic from the start and understanding how to make the market work for them.'
News.com.au
24-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Craigieburn family home sells $71,000 above price guide as first homebuyers battler at auction
A Craigieburn home bought for just $145,000 in 2009 has sold under the hammer for $661,000, a windfall result for the first-home buyer who built it 16 years ago. Seller Kerrie Neale secured 40 Kelway St with help from a $30,000 first homeowner grant during the wake of the global financial crisis, later turning it into an investment after moving out with her family. 'It's been a wonderful place and it continues to be,' Ms Neale said. 'Now it's really special that another first-home buyer has purchased it. 'It feels like the property's story is continuing in the same spirit it began, which is a beautiful thing.' The home went to auction with a $560,000-$590,000 price guide and opened with a $540,000 bid before climbing through strong competition from ten registered bidders — three on site and seven online — before being claimed by a young family. Ms Neale said the proceeds from the sale would go directly towards paying off her current mortgage. 'I think we're really pleased with the result,' she said. 'Honestly, I don't know if we would have gone for the property without that support. 'It made a real difference — and without it, we might not be in this position now.' With the Reserve Bank delivering its second interest rate cut of 2025 earlier in the week, Ms Neale said it was too soon to tell how it might impact future decisions. 'It's really hard to say,' she said. 'I think we'll have to wait and see if those future cuts actually happen, and then go from there.' The sellers said it was touching to see a new family begin their journey in the home. 'From what we could tell, it's a young family — and that the home will keep playing the same role it played for us is really lovely.' McGrath Craigieburn's Gurbaj Sandhu said the result reflected renewed buyer urgency. 'The Craigieburn market has always been strong,' Mr Sandhu said. 'And with those two interest rate cuts, buyer confidence has definitely jumped. 'People are keen to lock something in before they feel priced out of the rebound.' The three-bedroom home features mirrored built-in robes, a master ensuite, spacious open-plan living, a stainless steel-equipped kitchen, and a covered outdoor entertaining area framed by established gardens. It's located near Aitken Creek Primary School, Mount Ridley College, Brickwood Park, and Craigieburn Central shopping centre.
Herald Sun
29-04-2025
- Business
- Herald Sun
Frankston North house price record: Local and interstate bidders battle for home at auction-packed auction
A hotly-contested auction has set a new house price record in Frankston North, smashing the previous benchmark by more than $100,000. A local couple claimed the keys for $900,500, beating out four separate Sydney-based investors who were bidding via the phone at the weekend auction. OBrien Real Estate Frankston Mark Burke said it was the first time that the house at 10-11 Timbertop Court had been offered for sale in more than four decades. RELATED: Frankston: Former PM's heritage-listed mansion 'like you're in a castle' How a first homebuyer beat investors to this $885,000 Frankston home Craigieburn family home score $21k above reserve in 'red-hot market' 'We ended up having four phone bidders and about another four bidders on-site,' Mr Burke said. Set on 1126 sq m, the four-bedroom abode features a covered patio, dual living areas and a kitchen with an Asko dishwasher, built-in oven and ceramic cooktop. A local couple were over the moon to secure the keys. 'She jumped up in the air and did the Toyota jump,' Mr Burke said, referring to advertisements for the car company featuring actors jumping to the tune of 'Oh, what a feeling'. The $900,500 sold price ended up $108,000 higher than Frankston North's previous $792,500 record set by 33 Bouvardia Cres in 2021, according to public records. 'It absolutely smashed that, I reckon it will take a while to beat,' Mr Burke said. He said that prior to the past few months, getting multiple interstate-based investors interested in a property would have been unusual. But with Melbourne home prices about 25 per cent behind Sydney's, New South Wales buyers are looking to Victoria to secure a bargain. 'It seems to be that word's got out that Frankston North is the jewel in the crown,' Mr Burke said. He credited the suburb being a five-to-six minute drive to the beach, plus its good schools and bus services for its popularity. Also on the weekend, a first-home buyer burst into tears of joy after purchasing a Craigieburn house for $677,000, a sum six figures above reserve. Six bidders competed for the keys to the four-bedroom home at 34 Pines Way. Ray White Craigieburn's Vinny Singh said that the first $500,000 bid actually met the reserve, with the home listed for $480,000-$520,000 during the sales campaign. The young buyer attended the auction alongside her father. 'She started crying, she was in tears when the hammer came down,' Mr Singh said. 'I think she had been looking to buy for about six months.' The purchaser's dad is planning to help renovate the home, which last sold for $65,000 in 1983, according to public records. Mr Singh said although renovating could be expensive, many first-home buyers in the area 'don't mind getting their hands dirty'. They often aimed to purchase an older home on a large block, where they could update the residence, enjoy a large backyard or even subdivide. 'There's a lack of supply in Craigieburn, especially the older part of Craigieburn,' Mr Singh said. Also in Melbourne's north, a newly built townhouse at 7a Walter St, Hadfield, fetched $812,000 under the hammer. C+M Residential Pascoe Vale director Marwan Abdulwahed said two bidders participated in the auction for the four-bedroom pad with three bathrooms, an office and single-car garage. 'The buyer has sold their apartment and purchased this for a bit more land and a bit more space,' Mr Abdulwahed said. In Lalor, six buyers registered to bid for a renovated three-bedroom house at 10 Kathryn Ave. Ray White Wollert director Michael Assaad said four bidders ended up taking part in the auction. A man who plans to live at the abode secured it for $661,000. 'The owners are over the moon, they weren't expecting that,' Mr Assad said. 'They were expecting around $610,000 to $615,000.' One of the vendors was going to take her mother and sister out for dinner to celebrate the result on Saturday night, he said. Sign up to the Herald Sun Weekly Real Estate Update. Click here to get the latest Victorian property market news delivered direct to your inbox. MORE: Brighton beach boxes: Six-figure sale of iconic coastal shack in Melbourne Kinglake: 'House of Bottles', made from 13,569 bottles, awaits a new owner Trentham: Double home estate next to wombat farm hits the market
