The driver denies the allegations.
A New York Uber driver has been charged with kidnapping a 15-year-old whom police say he intended to sexually assault.
The victim, who was not identified, hailed a car using the ride-sharing app in July following a Sweet 16 party. Once in the car, the driver, identified by police as 32-year-old Sean Williams, allegedly canceled the route and attempted to convince the girl to go out drinking with him.
The teen said no and repeatedly asked Williams to take her home, according to police, but instead he allegedly drove in the opposite direction toward his Brooklyn home.
Fortunately, the quick-thinking girl managed to escape when she told Williams she needed to use the bathroom and he pulled over at a McDonald's, police said. She ran inside and called the cops.
Williams drove away before police could get there. He was eventually arrested four days later at his home.
"The family of a 15-year old girl relied on a car service to get their daughter home safely," Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas said in a statement to ABC News. "The girl was terrorized by the defendant’s alleged behavior and bravely took action to contact police and free herself."
Williams is charged with kidnapping in the incident, among other charges.
He denies the allegations, and in an interview with ABC News, his lawyer, Steven Gaitman, questioned police's account of the incident.
"She had her cellphone the entire time — there was ample opportunity, whether it be traffic lights, stop signs, to have either rolled down the window, gotten out of the vehicle," Gaitman said. "Being that she had to go to the bathroom, he pulled over at the next available spot."
However, when asked why his client allegedly drove toward Brooklyn, the wrong direction, Gaitman declined to comment.
In a statement, Uber said: "What has been reported is deeply alarming and the driver's access to the app has been removed. We stand ready to cooperate with law enforcement."
Williams is next due in court on Sept. 18.
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