Who is Ejaz Hussain? Virginia Lyft driver sexually abuses boy, 17, on ride home
PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, VIRGINIA: A Lyft driver was accused of sexually assaulting a teenaged passenger while taking him home from school in Virginia, on June 15. According to Fox 5 DC, the 17-year-old boy used the Lyft ride service to get to school on June 14 and exchanged contact information with the suspect.
There has been a rise in the cases of sexual assault in app-based cabs. Last year, a livery cab driver in Brooklyn raped a 12-year-old passenger before driving her home. The same year, an Uber driver who raped a passenger and took a selfie with her was imprisoned for 12 years. In 2019, a worried Baltimore father tracking his daughter's cab ride found the Uber driver raping her in the back seat.
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Lyft is yet to release safety reports disclosing incidents of sexual assault and abuse on its platform, despite a pledge to do so in May 2018 following a CNN investigation.
Who is Ejaz Hussain?
Ejaz Hussain, 58, is a Lyft driver who operates in Virginia. According to Potomac Local, Hussain resides in Camdenhurst Dr in Gainesville. He has been charged with sexual battery and is currently being held on a $3,500 unsecured bond.
Officers responded to the 8800 block of Rixlew Ln in Manassas (20109) at 12.11 pm on June 14 to investigate a sexual assault. According to Fox 5 DC, the 17-year-old teenager, whose name has not been disclosed as he is a minor, used the ride service to get to a school in Virginia on June 14 and exchanged contact information with the suspect. According to authorities, the student called Hussain again for a ride home after school.
Hussain allegedly sexually attacked the victim while driving him to his house. When the victim arrived at his destination, he exited the vehicle and called a family member, who alerted the police. There were no injuries recorded.
The incident occurs three months after Lyft announced it would collaborate with Uber to develop a database of drivers fired for sex abuse accusations, following Uber's announcement in 2019 that over 3,000 passengers had been assaulted by drivers the previous year. According to a CNN Business report released last week, Lyft is yet to follow through on its openness vow, citing a clash with an ongoing legal dispute with California authorities. Lyft is being sued by at least 72 passengers for claimed rape and sexual assault occurrences.