US Uber driver rapes woman, charges her for extra time in car

Ahmed Elgaafary.
Ahmed Elgaafary. Photo credit: Chester County District Attorney's Office

An Uber driver who raped his unconscious passenger also charged her extra because the trip took longer.

Ahmed Elgaafary was last week found guilty in a Pennsylvania court of rape of an unconscious person, sexual assault and indecent assault. 

Elgaafary, 27, picked up the woman at the Valley Forge Casino Resort on February 10. Instead of driving the woman directly home - a 15-minute drive - prosecutors said Elgaafary took the woman for a 53-minute ride and assaulted her, reports NBC Philadelphia.

Prosecutors said he then charged the woman for the longer ride and for vomiting in his car, adding an extra US$150 (NZ$233) to the bill.

Elgaafary's lawyers argued that the sex was consensual, and that the woman seduced the driver. They say he initially lied about the incident because he was married and didn't want to admit it to his pregnant wife. 

"He cheated on his wife," NBC Philadelphia reported defence lawyer Melissa Berlot McCafferty as telling the court "He's not a rapist. He's not a criminal." 

The woman, who police said was visibly drunk when she got into the Uber at around 2:20am, said that she didn't remember anything from the Uber ride, but when she woke up later that morning she noticed bruises on her legs and forehead and discovered she had dirt under her nails. She also told police she woke up wearing nothing but a bra, according to CBS3 news. 

"She should have been safe," Chester County assistant district attorney Robert Cocco told the jury during the trial, reports NBC Philadelphia. "He knew she was vulnerable. He knew she was alone. He knew she was too drunk."

In a police interview, Elgaafary denied raping or having sexual intercourse with the victim; he told police she was crying and vomited several times during the trip. 

DNA testing later confirmed that Elgaafary had sexual intercourse with the victim and he was charged with five counts, including rape of an unconscious victim, sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse of an unconscious person, indecent assault with consent and indecent assault of an unconscious person. 

Uber condemned the man's actions and said he had been "permanently removed" as a company worker.

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