Bond Raised For Uber Driver Accused Of Rape
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DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - The driver who stands accused of sexually assaulting one of his Uber passengers faced a judge in Dallas on Thursday. Talal Chammout's lawyer attempted to get the bond lowered and get the suspect out of prison. Instead, the judge actually raised Chammout's bond.
Chammout allegedly picked up a woman that used the Uber app to find a ride last month, and is accused of raping the woman at her home after taking her there. Investigators said that, after the car ride, the 56-year-old driver followed the woman inside without being invited.
Earlier this week, the CBS 11 News I-Team found out that Chammout likely never underwent a background check before Uber hired him as a driver. Uber drivers are supposed to go through two background checks — one for a city permit and another for Uber — when signing up to work for the company. Uber may have grandfathered in Chammout, which meant that the second check was not required.
Dallas city officials said that Chammout also used a fake permit, which is how he slipped past the initial background check.
Chammout's bond was originally set at $100,000, but that changed during the Thursday hearing, where the judge increased it to $250,000. State prosecutors asked that the bond be raised to $1 million in an effort to keep the suspect locked away behind bars. Chammout is already a convicted felon and has been accused of beating up his wife with a weapon. He was cleared of the charges in a Lebanese court.
The victim's mother testified during the Thursday morning hearing, saying that her daughter has been living in fear since the alleged sexual assault took place.
Chammout's lawyer turned over the suspect's passport, and said that his client has two college-aged kids who depend on him in Plano. If he does get out of prison, Chammout will have to wear a tracking monitor.