Convicted Tinder predator faces possible release after serving less than a year

Matthew Werner, a 49-year-old from Massachusetts who masqueraded as a Swedish soccer star on Tinder, was sentenced to four years in prison in February after repeatedly breaching probation. The sentence followed a 2023 plea that dismissed a trial, resulting in a no-contest plea to felony assault and a misdemeanor sexual battery count. Authorities linked him to at least six rapes across Los Angeles County, though many victims remain silent.

Werner is currently housed at Wasco State Prison and will be considered for parole in October, less than a year after his incarceration began. Survivor Shira Scott Astrof, who survived a choking and shoulder dislocation during the 2015 assault, expressed renewed dread and criticized the court’s handling of the case. She is calling on other survivors to testify, hoping to prevent his release. The Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office offered no comment, and Judge Serena Raquel Murillo has not responded to inquiries.