GOLDEN, Colo. – The former Uber driver arrested Sunday and accused of kidnapping a 15-year-old girl and kissing her against her will during an UberPOOL trip made his first court appearance Tuesday and saw his bond set at $50,000.
Ahmed Muse, 29, has not been formally charged in the incident, but was arrested on suspicion of second-degree kidnapping, false imprisonment and harassment charges Sunday.
Muse had a public defender appointed to represent him in the case at Tuesday’s appearance, was advised of his rights and had his bond set. He is due back in court Friday to be advised of any formal charges prosecutors bring against him.
According to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Muse picked the girl up at her workplace Saturday night after a coworker scheduled the trip for her. The sheriff’s office said he bypassed her stop on the Pool trip and dropped another passenger off first miles away.
Afterward, according to the sheriff’s office, he returned to the girl’s final destination but kept the doors locked and forcibly kissed the girl before allowing her to get out of the car.
The sheriff’s office said it identified Muse through the app before arresting him on Sunday. Spokesperson Jenny Fulton said the other passenger in the car corroborated what the girl had told them before he was dropped off and said investigators were working to notify Uber while the investigation continues.
Uber said it removed the driver from the app in response to the arrest.
“What’s been described is deeply troubling and upon learning of it we immediately removed the driver's access to the app," an Uber spokesperson said in a statement to Denver7 Monday afternoon. "We stand ready to assist the law enforcement investigation in any way possible.”
Muse remains in custody in the Jefferson County jail.
