Uber driver accused of sexually assaulting Boystown rider
Wed. January 14, 2015 6:52 PM by Andy Ambrosius
adnan nafasat, 46
photo credit // cpd via dna info
Prosecutors say the 21-year-old was choked and almost forced to perform oral sex.
Chicago, IL -
An UberX Chicago driver is accused of choking and sexually assaulting a 21-year-old man who hailed the driver in Boystown last summer, prosecutors said Wednesday.
Adnan Nafasat, 46, is charged with criminal sexual assault, kidnapping and unlawful restraint, according to DNAInfo. Nafasat, who lives in Villa Park, is married with three children, his attorney said.
The UberX driver picked up the victim in the 700 block of West Cornelia Avenue during the early morning hours of July 31, according to prosecutors. Nafasat told the passenger to sit in the front seat because his back seats were dirty, and when he got inside, he drove the man south to an unrecognizable neighborhood.
Prosecutors said Nafasat allegedly groped the man's penis through his pants and forced his fingers into the man's mouth. When the car would stop, the driver would choke the 110-pound victim so he couldn't jump out of the car and escape. Nafasat held the man's throat so tight, he almost lost consciousness, prosecutors said. Eventually Nafasat tried to pull over to force the man to perform oral sex.
Uber Spokewoman Jennifer Mullin told ChicagoPride.com, "Our thoughts are with the victim of this horrible incident. We immediately removed the driver from our platform upon learning of the allegations and have been assisting authorities with the investigation."
Cook County Judge James Brown ordered Nafasat held on $150,000 bail. According to DNAinfo, prosecutors did not comment on why he wasn't arrested sooner, but Mullin told ChicagoPride.com Uber removed Nafasat immediately from the platform upon hearing of the accusations on July 31, 2014.
Another Chicago UberX driver has been charged with sexually assaulting a passenger in November.
Tracey Abman, associate director of Cab Drivers United/AFSCME, the union of Chicago taxi cab drivers, issued the following statement in response to news reports that an UberX driver has been charged with sexually assaulting a customer for the second time in two weeks:
"Yet another shocking and deplorable crime allegedly committed by an Uber driver underscores the need for the city of Chicago to get serious about regulating unlicensed car services now. Private corporations can't simply be trusted to police themselves. Rideshare companies provide the same service as taxi cabs, and should face the same requirements, including city-provided background checks, insurance parity and chauffeur licensing. Public safety, consumer protection and simple fairness demand nothing less."
Adnan Nafasat, 46, is charged with criminal sexual assault, kidnapping and unlawful restraint, according to DNAInfo. Nafasat, who lives in Villa Park, is married with three children, his attorney said.
The UberX driver picked up the victim in the 700 block of West Cornelia Avenue during the early morning hours of July 31, according to prosecutors. Nafasat told the passenger to sit in the front seat because his back seats were dirty, and when he got inside, he drove the man south to an unrecognizable neighborhood.
Prosecutors said Nafasat allegedly groped the man's penis through his pants and forced his fingers into the man's mouth. When the car would stop, the driver would choke the 110-pound victim so he couldn't jump out of the car and escape. Nafasat held the man's throat so tight, he almost lost consciousness, prosecutors said. Eventually Nafasat tried to pull over to force the man to perform oral sex.
Uber Spokewoman Jennifer Mullin told ChicagoPride.com, "Our thoughts are with the victim of this horrible incident. We immediately removed the driver from our platform upon learning of the allegations and have been assisting authorities with the investigation."
Cook County Judge James Brown ordered Nafasat held on $150,000 bail. According to DNAinfo, prosecutors did not comment on why he wasn't arrested sooner, but Mullin told ChicagoPride.com Uber removed Nafasat immediately from the platform upon hearing of the accusations on July 31, 2014.
Another Chicago UberX driver has been charged with sexually assaulting a passenger in November.
Tracey Abman, associate director of Cab Drivers United/AFSCME, the union of Chicago taxi cab drivers, issued the following statement in response to news reports that an UberX driver has been charged with sexually assaulting a customer for the second time in two weeks:
"Yet another shocking and deplorable crime allegedly committed by an Uber driver underscores the need for the city of Chicago to get serious about regulating unlicensed car services now. Private corporations can't simply be trusted to police themselves. Rideshare companies provide the same service as taxi cabs, and should face the same requirements, including city-provided background checks, insurance parity and chauffeur licensing. Public safety, consumer protection and simple fairness demand nothing less."