An Uber driver is accused of carrying out a series of sexual offences without consent over a nine-month period, including allegations he performed a sex act on himself while a female passenger was in his car in Sydney’s CBD.
Kenyan national Abel Kipkemboi, 28, allegedly performed a sex act while a 23-year-old Uber passenger was inside his vehicle in Sydney’s CBD on Saturday.
Police arrested Abel Kipkemboi on Tuesday. Picture: Supplied.
Police allege Mr Kipkemboi man was involved in three unrelated incidents of a similar nature between January and September this year, though they were not connected to his work as a rideshare driver.
Mr Kipkemboi was arrested in Millers Point on Tuesday afternoon and charged with three counts of carrying out a sexual act with another without consent and two counts of sexually touching another person without consent. No pleas have been entered.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Kodi Lane on Wednesday fought against Mr Kipkemboi’s bid for bail, arguing the 28-year-old posed too great a risk to the community and of committing further serious offences.
“The offending does appear to spread from January all the way up until September. There are at least four (alleged) victims, all of whom are female, and the acts are (allegedly) committed in various ways,” Mr Lane told the local court.
He submitted none of the alleged victims knew each other and the alleged offending spanned various settings, including Mr Kipkemboi’s work as an Uber driver.
“The defendant, I guess, doesn’t discriminate about … where these (alleged) offences take place,” Mr Lane said.
Police allege Mr Kipkemboi was involved in three unrelated incidents of a similar nature. Picture: Supplied.
Lawyer Veronica Love in turn argued any concerns could be mitigated by bail conditions requiring Mr Kipkemboi to surrender his passport, comply with a curfew, report to police, and not to work as an Uber driver.
She also said her client, who arrived in Australia from Kenya in 2019 on a bridging visa, has been cooperative with police.
Judge Daniel Covington said the alleged facts were “concerning” and “really serious”.
“They involve multiple (alleged) complainants over a number of months, and in my view … the last (alleged) offence where it’s said to be on the Uber trip is a really serious set of (alleged) facts,” he told the court.
“There seems to be what could be seen as an escalation in more recent times.”
Judge Covington ultimately denied Mr Kipkemboi’s release application, telling the court the proposed bail conditions did not mitigate concerns he may commit further serious offences, endanger the community, and fail to appear in court.
Mr Kipkemboi will appear in the Downing Centre Local Court next week via an audiovisual link.