Rassoul Solhdjou: Uber driver allegedly indecently assaulted female passenger

A former Uber driver who police allege rubbed a female passenger’s private parts appears in Manly Local Court.

Former Uber driver Rassoul Solhdjou, who has pleased not guilty to indecently assaulting a female passengers who had paid for a lift from Surry Hills to Kirribilli, outside Manly Court House on Monday. Picture: Dylan Robinson

A former Uber driver charged with indecently assaulting a woman during a rideshare journey has appeared in Manly Local Court.

Police are alleging Rassoul Solhdjou, 39, of Glendenning, touched the woman’s vagina and rubbed the inside of her thigh with his fingers in October 2018.

Mr Solhdjou has pleaded not guilty to one count of assault with act of indecency.

A hearing of the charge was held in a closed Manly Local Court on Monday.

Rassoul Solhdjou walking into Manly Court House on Monday. Picture: Dylan Robinson

The rideshare driver is alleged to have picked up the woman at Surry Hills for a journey to Kirribilli.

Police allege that at about 1am on October 1, 2018, just prior to reaching the destination, Mr Solhdjou indecently assaulted his passenger.

The woman then exited the car and walked the remainder of the journey.

She reported the incident to police five months later, in March 2019.

Mr Solhdjou was arrested at Chatswood Police Station on November 18 last year, and charged.

Outside Manly Court House, on December 19, 2019, Mr Solhdjou told the media that he did not do anything to the passenger and said it was a “very big misunderstanding”.

“I cannot remember anything, nothing happened,” Mr Solhdjou told reporters.

Rassoul Solhdjou during a break from the closed hearing at manly Local Court on Monday. Picture: Dylan Robinson

“No one jumped out of my car because she was frightened. I never hurt somebody.

“I can never remember somebody just jump out of my car because I’d touched somebody. Definitely is incorrect.”

Outside Manly Court House Mr Solhdjou he said he apologised to the woman if he said something, but reiterated that he did not do anything.

He said he was “really shocked” when he met police and would never do something like this.

Mr Solhdjou no longer drives Uber and at the time of the alleged assault, was just driving for the ride-share service at weekends.

Magistrate Michelle Goodwin will make a decision in Manly Local Court on May 17.