Uber driver accused of sexually assaulting woman in Boston
An Uber driver who allegedly sexually assaulted a female passenger on Saturday night was arrested over the weekend.
Suspect held without bail
Police said 39-year-old Hermann Jiokeng, was arrested at his residence in Brighton and charged with rape. Police said the incident happened on Saturday at 11:45 p.m. when a woman ordered a ride to her South Boston residence.
Neighbors told WBZ-TV the woman had left a nearby bar and was allegedly sexually assaulted in front of her South Boston apartment.
Jiokeng was held without bail following a court appearance Monday afternoon. The judge ordered a dangerousness hearing for him on Friday.
Uber released a statement Monday afternoon which read in full:
"We are sickened by what has been reported. Sexual assault is a tragic crime, and we banned the driver from the Uber platform as soon as this was reported to us. We've been in touch with police and will continue to do whatever we can to support their investigation."
Ride-hailing safety
Women who live in South Boston said many of them had heard about what happened through word of mouth. A conscious effort to try to spread the word and awareness for safety when going out.
"We all have each other's locations so we can check where our friends are and if they made it home OK," said South Boston resident Gina Sorrendino. "And we always text when we get home."
"Usually if I get an Uber or Lyft, I always try to go with a friend to just have somebody else there," said Lilly McCarthy of South Boston. "You have all these thoughts that I feel like as a guy you just hop in, and you don't think twice about it."
