ABERDEEN MAN CONVICTED OF POSING AS TAXI DRIVER AND SEXUALLY ASSAULTING PASSENGERS
A man who pretended to be a taxi driver in order to lure women into his vehicle then sexually assaulted them has been convicted.Junaid Muhammed Naheed, aged 27, appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court to admit to groping two women on separate occasions after offering them a late-night lift.
Both victims believed Naheed was an actual taxi driver at the time, but he was employed as a delivery driver, and he was already on the sex offenders register for an earlier assault in Manchester involving a 16-year-old girl in 2021.
In the first incident, around 00:15 on August 21, 2021, a 21-year-old woman and her friend left a flat in Powis Place and were waiting near a bus stop when Naheed pulled up and offered them a ride.
One woman thought his car was a taxi and asked about the fare, which he initially quoted as £12 but then reduced to £4.
She declined, but they got into the vehicle.
Naheed drove them to Denburn Road near Belmont Street, where after attempting to pay, Naheed leaned in and kissed her without consent.
He then groped her over her clothing, grabbing her breasts and private parts.
The woman reported the assault to police shortly afterward.
A second assault took place weeks later, on September 13, 2021, at 11:30 pm, involving a 19-year-old woman.
She saw Naheed standing next to a parked car and accepted his offer of a lift.
Inside, Naheed claimed he was a taxi driver, drove a short distance to John Street, and again tried to kiss her and grope her through her clothing.
He also tried to put his hands inside her underwear, which she managed to remove.
She asked to be dropped off, but Naheed insisted on taking her home.
During the journey, she lost her keys inside the car.
When she exited, she was distressed and later reported the incident, confirming it was sexual assault.
Naheed was arrested and denied the allegations, claiming the woman made advances towards him.
He later admitted to the sexual assaults in court.
Naheed's solicitor revealed that his client was already on the sex offenders register for an incident involving a 16-year-old girl in Manchester, which resulted in a three-year community order.
The court deferred sentencing until March for a social work report, and Naheed was placed on the sex offenders register on an interim basis.
