Roxanne Shurmur, after being single for nine months, decided to try her luck on dating apps in hopes of finding love again following a distressing period in her personal life.
But this decision soon turned into one of her biggest regrets.
At the age of 22 and just two days into her online dating journey, she matched with a man named TJ who appeared “like a right laugh” and someone she could feel at ease with. Little did she know, he was harbouring a multitude of secrets about his true identity.
“TJ made me feel relaxed, TJ made me feel heard and TJ made me feel like everything I had felt was OK,” she reveals in UKTV’s documentary Red Flag. After suffering a rape at the age of 16, Roxanne had been wary of men until she mustered up the courage to date again six years later, and TJ reassured her that everything would be alright.
Eager to learn more about her potential beau, she agreed to meet him after two weeks of phone conversations. Although he was a bit shorter than she had anticipated, Roxanne found there was “no awkwardness” and their chats flowed naturally, as if they had known each other for years.
