Two South Carolina children took separate Uber rides to a man’s house where they were abused, the lawsuit claims.
YORK COUNTY, S.C. — Two York County families are suing Uber, alleging the company allowed their 12- and 13-year-old daughters to be taken across state lines to a child predator’s home where one of the girls was sexually assaulted.
The lawsuit, which was announced Wednesday, seeks to hold Uber accountable for being complicit in child sex trafficking. The lawsuit claims two Uber drivers drove the children to the alleged predator’s home without notifying their parents. The lawsuit says the drivers then picked up the girls and took them back home without raising any concerns.
Attorney Tracey Cowan called on Uber to ensure its platform is safe, especially for children. The suit wants the company to add cameras in vehicles, eliminate the policy that penalizes drivers who refuse to pick up unaccompanied children and wants drivers to undergo anti-trafficking training.
The lawsuit is seeking financial compensation for pain and suffering, mental and physical damages, as well as medical expenses and lost wages the parents and their daughters had to endure.
An Uber spokesperson provided the following statement to WCNC Charlotte:
“The details of this incident are horrific. We take our role helping to combat human trafficking seriously and have spent years investing in prevention efforts, including providing every driver with educational resources on how to identify the signs of human trafficking and report suspected cases.
“We are committed to partnering with experts to help combat this issue, and our Global Investigations team works hand in hand with law enforcement to help bring suspected traffickers to justice. In addition, we’ve partnered with state Attorneys General to develop digital content to help drive awareness even further. Our work to help shine a light on human trafficking is never done, and we remain committed to being part of the solution.”
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