Uber driver charged with raping girl, 16, after she bought ice-cream

A teenage girl has accused a Brisbane Uber driver of raping and sexually assaulting her after collecting her from a local supermarket.

The girl had taken an Uber to the shop to buy ice-cream at around 9pm on Friday July 7, before making another booking to travel back to her friend’s house in Manly West.

It has been alleged that a 37-year-old man collected her from the supermarket and drove her to a “dark spare allotment”.

Court documents seen by Australian Associated Press (AAP) allege that the man indecently touched, raped and sexually assaulted the girl – who cried and repeatedly told him ‘no’ – before dropping her off at her friend’s house.

MORE: UberEATS and Deliveroo drivers first on scene at acid attacks in London
MORE: Pictured: Woman who died climbing fence to watch jet land

The man was charged yesterday (Thursday July 13) after the incident was reported to police and was today (Friday) refused bail at Brisbane Magistrates Court.

His solicitor David Svoboda said the man would “strenuously” fight the allegations against him.

While he can’t be named, it has been revealed that the man is a married father-of-two who arrived in Brisbane from the UK a year ago.

Magistrate John Costello rejected Svoboda’s bid for the defendant to be released on bail, saying: “It seems to me that there is a strong case against the defendant that he raped and sexually abused a 16-year-old female passenger in his taxi.”

Uber has confirmed that it had blocked the driver’s access to the ride-sharing app.

The man is the second Brisbane Uber driver to be charged with rape in the last fortnight; a 47-year-old man appeared in court last week charged with raping a passenger three times.

The 37-year-old man has been remanded in custody until August 7.

Top image: Rex