COLUMBUS, Ohio — A Reynoldsburg man is in custody after he allegedly groped and solicited a Lyft driver for sex last week, Franklin County Municipal Court records say.
Derrell Williamson, 46, was arrested on Wednesday and charged with kidnapping and gross sexual imposition in connection to an incident involving a female Lyft driver on June 4.
Records say the woman picked up Williamson at 2:39 a.m. at Park and Vine streets and was driving him to his apartment when he reportedly began flirting with her and groping her.
During the ride, she expressed that she was not interested, and he allegedly continued to touch her arm, shoulder, breasts and stomach and offered to pay for sex.
When they arrived at his apartment complex, he reportedly refused to leave the vehicle. According to court records, he sat in the vehicle for 15 minutes while the driver attempted to talk him into leaving.
She then drove away with him inside in an effort to find a gas station or business with other people around. Records say she was unable to find a place, so she drove back to the apartment.
Williamson then allegedly restrained her and groped her before exiting the vehicle.
At 8:37 a.m., the woman reported the incident to a patrol officer with the Columbus Division of Police. Using information from the woman, officers identified Williamson as the suspect at 2:08 p.m.
A spokesperson for Lyft sent 10TV a statement saying the suspect's behavior has no place on the company's platform.
"As soon as we learned of this incident, we permanently removed the rider’s account from the Lyft community. We have reached out to the driver to offer our support, and stand ready to assist law enforcement with any investigation," a Lyft spokesperson wrote in a statement.
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