Kiwi woman gang-raped in Sydney after she met man on dating app Tinder

The woman met the man at a restaurant in Sydney's Kings Cross before accompanying him to a bar in Martin Place, where they were joined by a number of the man's friends. File photo / NZ Herald

A Kiwi woman in Sydney on business has been sexually assaulted by a group of men after she met up with one man she had been introduced to via a mobile dating app.

The 28-year-old connected with the man through Tinder and then met him in person on Saturday night at a restaurant in the inner city suburb of Kings Cross before accompanying him to a bar nearby.

There, the pair were joined by a number of the man's friends.

Detective Inspector Michael Haddow of the Sydney Sex Crimes Squad (SCC) said later in the night the woman began to feel dizzy and numb, and "lost her bearings".

She later found herself at a property she was not familiar with; there, she was sexually assaulted by a number of men. The woman managed to leave the property on Sunday morning before reporting the matter to colleagues who called the police.

Inspector Haddow said the man the woman initially met was described as a Pacific Islander or Maori.

The woman was treated at a Sydney hospital on Monday and gave police a formal statement on Tuesday. She then returned to New Zealand - where she is being supported by family.

Inspector Haddow could not comment further on the incident as the investigation was "still in its infancy".

Tinder is the same dating app used by New Zealander tourist Warriena Wright just hours before she plunged to her death in Australia. She was found dead outside an apartment block in the Gold Coast on August 8.

The man she is alleged to have met on Tinder, Gable Tostee, has been charged with her murder.

Inspector Haddow today issued a public warning about to people to "be very careful" when meeting people they have met online.

"The vast majority of people who use dating websites and apps do so for the right reasons, but there are a number of sexual predators out there who use modern technology to find potential victims," he said.

"We regularly remind people, children and parents in particular, that the use of the internet by sexual predators is an issue they need to be well aware of. All those warnings we give to children are applicable to adults."

Inspector Haddow added that anyone thinking of meeting someone they have been introduced to online should bring a friend along.

"It's absolutely vital that people using dating websites and apps remember that how a person portrays themselves on the internet can be very different from their real life persona. With this in mind, we strongly advise people that if they decide to meet a person they have been introduced to via the internet, then ensure the meeting is in a public place and take a friend along with you.

"Having a friend there ensures that one of you can always keep an eye on your drink, and you have someone to turn to who can help you out should you feel threatened or uncomfortable. If it's not possible to bring a friend with you, then, at the very least, stay in regular contact with a family member or friend, keeping them abreast of how the night is going and where you may be heading to."