An Uber driver from North Miami Beach is facing charges of lewd and lascivious conduct on a child under 16 after an alleged incident involving a 15-year-old passenger. Jose Miguel Perez-Molina, 39, has been arrested following a ride that was booked through the Uber Teens app. The arrest report outlines that the driver started to make inappropriate comments and touched the teen during the trip from Aventura to Sunny Isles Beach, WSVN reports.
During the ride, the driver began to ask personal questions, including if she had a boyfriend, to which the girl responded that she did not. "How could a girl like you be pretty and single," Perez-Molina allegedly replied, as per the arrest report. He continued to ask about her age, and upon learning she was only 15, commented, "Oh that's a problem I'm 39 years old." The situation escalated to him putting his hand on her knee and caressing it, asking if she wanted to sit in the front seat, and suggesting to quickly teach her how to kiss, as noted by NBC Miami.
The teenage victim, unsettled by the advances, managed to secretly record part of the encounter on her phone. In the recorded audio, Perez-Molina can be heard saying, "I would wait for you, oh since you don't have a boyfriend I could show you how to kiss, let's give each other a kiss and try it out," according to the arrest report obtained by NBC Miami. On the recording, the girl is heard saying "no" and reminding him that she is 15.
Following the incident, the teen quickly exited the vehicle upon arrival at her destination, visibly distressed and in tears. She informed a friend and her parents about her experience, who then contacted the authorities. Perez-Molina was later identified by the victim in a photo lineup "without hesitation," and was apprehended. He was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center and awaited his appearance before a bond court judge. NBC6 has reached out to Uber for comment but is yet to hear back on the matter.
