Who is Shapsly Silencieux? Florida man posing as Uber driver rapes woman, 18, before dropping her home
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA: A 37-year-old Florida man is accused of pretending to be an Uber driver and raping an 18-year-old girl who thought he was her ride home. Shapsly Silencieux, 37, has been charged with a single count of sexual battery in connection with the Saturday night attack on the 18-year-old in the area for Spring Break.
Fort Lauderdale police stated that the victim had been out with friends, got separated and arranged an Uber to take her back to her lodgings in Bal Harbour. Silencieux reportedly picked up the woman along the 100 Block of SW 3rd Avenue on March 13 night.
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When her Uber app notified her that the driver had arrived, she approached the car allegedly driven by Silencieux and asked if he was the Uber driver. When he replied “yes,” she got in, an arrest warrant says. It is still not clear if the teenager checked the number plate or not. Shortly afterward, when she got into the car with Silencieux, her Uber app sent her a cancellation notice, charging her $100. According to the arrest report, the woman told Silencieux he wasn’t her Uber driver, and he replied, “I’m taking you home.” Silencieux then took her to his apartment, saying he needs to retrieve his wallet, where he reportedly sexually assaulted her, the report said.
After raping her, he drove her to where she was staying in Bal Harbour. After reading the destination, the woman reported the incident to the police. She gave them the license plate number of the car he was driving, and the police traced the car to Silencieux. Bal Harbour police took her to Fort Lauderdale police headquarters, where she picked him out of a photo lineup. Silencieux is now booked into jail where he remained held on a $50,000 bond.
Uber said in a statement: “Everyone has the right to travel safely and our thoughts are with the victim after this horrific experience. While this trip did not take place on the Uber app, we immediately removed the driver’s access to the app as soon as this was reported to us.”