An Uber driver accused of raping a passenger on Saturday in Boston appeared in court Monday for the alleged sexual assault.
Duadah Mayanja, 37, of Waltham, was arrested after state police received a report at about 1:15 a.m. that he allegedly sexually assaulted a woman in his car on Storrow Drive, near the Hatch Memorial Shell. A detainer has since been placed on the suspect, who is a Uganda national.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement placed a detainer on Mayanja, who they say is a citizen of the African nation of Uganda.
In court, prosecutors say the victim had called an Uber to pick her up at a Somerville bar. They say during the course of the ride, the woman said Mayanja reached over the seat and put his hands down her pants, assaulting her. She said he pulled the car over and it happened again.
"The victim reported that the defendant is alleged to have reached over with his right hand, unbuckled her pants and then digitally raped her," said Alexa Wright, an assistant district attorney. "This happened while on Storrow Drive while the vehicle was in motion."
At that time, prosecutors say her phone rang and she was able to run from the vehicle.
"She ran from the vehicle, she was observed running by a bystander and she was seen hysterically crying with her pants unbuttoned," Wright said.
The victim called a friend, who came and took her to a police station.
While the victim was with the police, Mayanja contacted her to let her know she left her things. He was then asked to come to the police station.
Meanwhile, Mayanja's attorney says the passenger was intoxicated and had wanted to smoke marijuana. They said when Mayanja told her she couldn't, she left the car and left all her belongings behind. Mayanja says he contacted Uber to let them know she had left her things and when asked to come to the police station he did.
"She was highly intoxicated, got into the front seat on her own and wanted to smoke marijuana and he pulled over to tell her to get out," said defense attorney Kim Giampietro.
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Mayanja's attorney says her client denies the charges.
She added that he is a father of 12 who has three sets of twins, is currently taking classes, and also works as a caregiver.
The judge set bail at $100,000 and if posted, Mayanja must surrender his passport and wear a GPS monitoring device. He is due back in court on May 1st.
An Uber spokesperson released the following statement:
"What's been reported is horrible and something no one should ever go through. We stand ready to support law enforcement with their investigation.
Uber announced a new safety feature on the app where riders can connect directly through 911. This alerts emergency services of the exact location on a map and as an address.
With GPS technology, each tip is recorded with two-way accountability for both drivers and passengers.
