Man posing as ride-share driver charged with sexually assaulting passengers

A man allegedly posing as a ride-share driver in Brisbane’s nightclub district has been charged with multiple sexual assaults.

Police believe the 43-year-old from Augustine Heights picked up women in Brisbane’s CBD and Fortitude Valley between late September and mid-October and sexually assaulted them.

The man allegedly posed as a ride-share driver in Brisbane (generic image).

The man allegedly posed as a ride-share driver in Brisbane (generic image).Luis Enrique Ascui

On one occasion,the man allegedly dropped a woman at her north Brisbane home,where he followed her and assaulted her in her residence.

Detective Inspector Ken Rogers said the man targeted young women in the Valley region and tricked them into his vehicle in the late hours of Friday and Saturday nights.

“Whilst en route to the destination,[he] has performed a series of unwanted acts of a sexual nature,” he said.

“He was purporting to be a ride-share operator. He would target girls on their phone who appeared to be trying to order a ride-share service.

“He would pull up beside them.

“They’d try to utilise the app. He would get them to get into the vehicle and utilise the app again and when it wouldn’t sync with his vehicle,he would enter a cash transaction with the victims and whilst en route commit the offences.”

Inspector Rogers said two of the victims were aged 19 and the third was 21.

In one of the alleged incidents,Inspector Rogers said the man followed one of the victims home with the intention of further offending.

He said the man did not provide any reason for his alleged offences during his interview with police,and was never registered with any ride-share company.

Police believe the man,who was operating on his own,had every intention of posing as a ride-share driver again this long weekend.

Inspector Rogers urged anyone using ride-share apps to check registration before getting into the vehicle.

He urged any other people who had a similar experience to come forward,saying it was unknown how many victims there could be.

The man has been charged with six counts of sexual assault,one count of entering a dwelling and one count of deprivation of liberty.

He appeared in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Thursday,and was remanded in custody.

Jocelyn Garcia is a journalist at Brisbane Times,covering culture and consumer and youth affairs. She formerly covered breaking news and crime for six years.

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