An African Uber driver has been refused bail after being arrested in Sydney for alleged performing a sex act in front of a female passenger and committing similar offences against three other women.
Apel Kipkemboi, 28, appeared in court on Wednesday after being charged with three counts of carrying out a sexual act with another without consent, and two counts of sexually touching another person without consent.
Police allege he performed a sexual act while a 23-year-old woman was in his rideshare vehicle on Saturday night, and was also involved in three unrelated but similar incidents between January and April in Sydney’s CBD, Earlwood and Otford, all of which allegedly occurred outside of his work as an Uber driver.
African rideshare driver arrested in Sydney after allegedly performing a sexual act on himself in front of a female passenger.
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Police prosecutor Kodi Lane opposed bail, telling the court Kipkemboi was a danger to the community and at risk of committing further offences, Newswire reported.
Mr Lane told the court Kipkemboi “did not discriminate” about where he carried out his alleged offending, which spanned a variety of settings.
Defence lawyer Veronica Love said her client, who the court heard came to Australia in 2019 and is on a Bridging visa, has cooperated with police and should be released with conditions that would mitigate any risks, including surrendering his passport, a curfew, reporting to police, and not working as a rideshare driver.
But Judge Daniel Covington refused bail, calling the allegations against Kipkemboi “really serious” and “concerning”, and noting “there seems to be what could be seen as an escalation in more recent times”.
“They involve multiple 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 said.
Kipkemboi will appear in court again from custody next week.
Header image: Left, right, Kipkemboi being arrested in Millers Point on Tuesday (NSW Police).
