A female Uber driver filed a complaint against State Sen. Bryce Marlatt over an alleged sexual assault case which took place on June 26. According to Buzzfeed News, the complainant claimed that the GOP member forced to kiss her while she was driving him to a local hotel at around 10:00 p.m.
What happened?
The female driver reportedly complained about the alleged assault two days after the incident. She told the authorities that she was unsure of what to do after the occurrence, but revealed that she was sexually harassed by a customer who had "made advances on her” while she was giving him a ride.
Oklahoma City Police Department Master Sergeant Gary Knight said Marlatt, who was sitting in the back seat, started "grabbing" and "kissing" the female Uber driver on the neck.
According to the police report, the complainant used the basic information she had about the client to look for him on the internet and found a picture of the state senator. Two days later, the female Uber driver approached the police authorities to complain about the alleged sexual assault and showed them a photo of Marlatt.
It was further revealed that Uber reportedly refused to release the customer's information to their employee, but promised to provide the details to the police authorities for the ongoing investigation.
"What's been reported is not tolerated and has no place on the Uber app," the company said.
Marlatt responds to sexual assault complaint
The state senator's party confirmed that they have reached out to Uber over the allegation. Atty. Robert Don Gifford said his client was "shocked and surprised" when he learned about the sexual assault accusation.
He added that they are currently working to figure out the reasons behind this scandal. "We're trying to get to the bottom of this and figure out what's going on," the lawyer said.
The female Uber driver, on the other hand, is reportedly determined to press charges against the GOP member for the alleged sexual assault. This is not the first time Marlatt was mired in a controversy.
The state senator from Oklahoma was previously charged with driving under the influence of alcohol in 2015.
The 39-year-old member of the Republican Party was sleeping behind the wheel of his running truck when the police authorities found him. An officer of Woodward County said they "knocked three times" before Marlatt woke up and rolled down the window. Aside from the smell of alcohol on his breath, the deputy also claimed that the state senator could not give them a straight answer when they asked him if he had been drinking.
