Former Uber driver charged with attempted rape appears before judge

SEATTLE — A former Uber driver who was the subject of a KIRO 7 investigation faced a judge Wednesday, charged with attempted rape.

Dereje Kebede, 40, of Seattle, appeared at the King County Regional Justice Center in Kent. His attorney asked the judge for a delay in his upcoming attempted rape trial so she can review new DNA evidence.

INLINE

Kebede is one of two former ride-share drivers charged with sexually assaulting their female passengers. Kebede drove for Uber until he was removed from the platform after being accused of trying to rape a Seattle woman. She told KIRO 7 she got into his car in March 2015 while drunk, then passed out.

"He violated me, and he traumatized me," the young woman said.

Even though Kebede is charged with attempted rape, the woman told investigators she was passed out and unable to consent to sex with him after he drove her to a SeaTac motel.

She maintains Kebede raped her, and she may not be alone.

According to court documents, Kebede told investigators "at least once a month" female passengers "have sex" with him.

To find out the same thing may have “happened to other people really upsets me,” the woman told KIRO 7.

INLINE

KIRO 7 also uncovered two criminal cases against Sayfudin Ahmed, who is charged with sexually assaulting a woman while he drove for Uber and another woman while driving for Lyft. He has since been removed from both platforms.

There are also two additional sexual assault investigations of ride-share drivers who haven't yet been charged with a crime. Those men may still be driving female passengers in Seattle.

Dave Sutton, of the Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association’s “Who’s Driving You” campaign, said, “When a passenger gets in and the doors lock, it’s very clear who’s in charge of the car. It’s the driver, and the passengers are vulnerable.”

Kebede remains behind bars. His trial has been moved from mid-May to July.

Ahmed is out of custody, awaiting trial.