A North Miami Beach Uber driver has been arrested after police say he had inappropriate contact with a 15‑year‑old passenger who requested a ride through the app, according to police.

The teen reported the incident shortly after the trip, leading to the driver – identified as 39-year-old Jose Miguel Perez-Molina – being charged with lewd and lascivious conduct, police said. 

Perez-Molina was arrested by Sunny Isles Beach police.

Affidavit details ride interaction

The teen requested an Uber Teens ride from Aventura to Sunny Isles Beach on Dec. 7, according to the affidavit. 

She told police the conversation was normal until the driver asked if she was single and told her she was lying, saying, "How could a girl like you be pretty and single?"

When she told him she was 15, he responded, "Oh, that's a problem, I'm 39," and continued asking about boyfriends, the affidavit states. 

He later accused her of lying about her age, saying, "You're lying that you're 15. You're 16, you have a license."

Victim describes unwanted touching

According to the affidavit, the driver, while parked, touched her knee and face, commented on her appearance, and asked about a scratch on her arm, telling her, "Who scratched you? I can take care of you." 

As they continued driving, she said he told her, "You make me nervous. You know what? Since you don't have a boyfriend, I can teach you how to kiss. Let's park, let's do something, and I can teach you how to kiss."

The teen said she repeatedly told him she was only 15 and said no, the affidavit says. She said she fled the car in tears once they arrived at her destination and reported the incident.

Recording corroborates teen's account

An audio recording she made captured him asking about a boyfriend, her stating she was 15, and him saying, "I would wait for you. Oh, since you don't have a boyfriend, I could show you how to kiss. Let's give each other a kiss and try it out," according to the affidavit.

She later identified him in a photo lineup, and police arrested him at his North Miami Beach home, the affidavit states.

Uber takes action

Calling what allegedly happened "deeply disturbing," Uber said the safety of teen riders is a top priority. The company said the driver's access to the platform was immediately removed once the allegation was made.

"What this rider experienced is deeply disturbing," Uber said in a statement. "The safety of teen riders on Uber is paramount, and we take reports like this very seriously. We removed the driver's access to the app as soon as this was reported to us, and our dedicated team is standing by to assist law enforcement however we can," the company said in a statement.