Vinicius Porto was caught red-handed by the 23-year-old New Jersey woman to whom he delivered food.
When Porto made his delivery to the unnamed woman, she told police that she noticed the bag of food was not sealed. When she stepped outside to question the driver still parked in his vehicle, she found him masturbating.
Before the 30-year-old could flee, she recorded the incident with her cell phone and reported him to authorities — as well as the Uber Eats service itself. Porto was arrested within 24 hours, charged with lewdness, and subsequently released.
“What’s been described is disturbing and unacceptable,” an Uber spokesperson said in a statement. “We’ve been in touch with the customer and the courier’s access to the app has been permanently removed.”
Uber has a troubled history with sexual misconduct, abuse, and assault. Last year, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said dealing with the problem is a “new priority” for the company. “It is a priority that I expect to remain a priority for the foreseeable future,” she added.
Uber spokespersons have echoed the sentiment, focusing in on Uber as a vehicle for rape. “This is just a start and we are committed to doing more,” one said. “Sexual assault is a horrible crime that has no place anywhere. While Uber is not immune to this societal issue, we want to be part of the solution to end this violence forever.”