An UberX driver has been charged in connection with the sexual assault of a passenger last summer in the Lakeview neighborhood on the North Side..
Adnan Nafasat, 46, of Villa Park, was charged Wednesday with criminal sexual assault, unlawful restraint and kidnapping, according to Chicago Police News Affairs. Bond has been set at $150,000, according to the Cook County State's Attorney's Office.
Nafasat is accused of sexually assaulting a 21-year-old male passenger on July 31. Nafasat picked up the victim, who had requested an Uber driver, in the 700 block of West Cornelia and asked him to sit in the front seat because the seats in the back were dirty and broken.
When Nafasat began to drive the car, he grabbed the victim, touched him inappropriately and forced his own tongue and fingers into the victim's mouth. The victim repeatedly asked to be released, but Nafasat did not comply. He told the victim that he was not going home and that nobody knew his whereabouts, the state's attorney's office said.
When the car stopped, Nafasat grabbed the victim by the throat to prevent him from leaving the car. At one point, the victim said Nafasat grabbed his throat so tightly he thought he was going to lose consciousness.
Nafasat then drove to a neighborhood the victim did not recognize, unzipped his pants and attempted to force the victim to perform a sexual act on him. The victim refused and asked to be driven home. Nafasat then drove the victim to his requested address.
The victim identified Nafasat in an array of photos after he shared screenshots of the driver from the victim's cellphone with police. Detectives also used records from Uber to track down the suspect, according to the state's attorney's office.
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Nafasat later admitted to picking up the victim, touching him through his clothes and removing his own pants.
Uber spokesperson Jennifer Mullin said the company immediately removed Nafasat as an Uber driver upon learning of the incident.
"Our thoughts are with the victim of this terrible incident," Mullin said.
This is the second time in less than a month that an Uber passenger has alleged that he or she was a victim of sexual assault by a driver. Last month, Maxime Fohounhedo was accused of sexually assaulting a 22-year-old female passenger. Fohounhedo was allegedly driving the car using an account in his wife's name, which is a violation of Uber's rules, but the photo and phone number were his own. Fohounhedo was not authorized to pick up passengers for the ride-share company, according to Uber.
