Uber driver indicted for kidnapping Merrick teen

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Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas announced Thursday that an Uber driver was arraigned on a grand jury indictment for allegedly kidnapping a 15-year-old girl in July.

Sean Williams, 32, of Brooklyn, was arraigned Tuesday before Judge Felice Muraca, and charged with second-degree kidnapping, second-degree kidnapping as a sexually motivated felony, endangering the welfare of a child and second-degree unlawful imprisonment. The defendant’s bail status was set at $150,000 bond or $75,000 cash. He is due back in court on Sept. 18. If convicted of the top count, he faces a maximum of up to 25 years in prison.

“The family of a 15-year old girl relied on a car service to get their daughter home safely after she attended a sweet sixteen party, but the defendant allegedly kidnapped her and wanted to sexually assault her after giving her alcohol,” Singas said. “The girl was terrorized by the defendant’s alleged behavior and bravely took action to contact police and free herself.”


Singas said that on July 12, at approximately 11:15 p.m., the defendant, an Uber driver, picked up a 15-year-old girl from a sweet sixteen in Atlantic Beach. The agreed-upon route was from Long Beach to Merrick, but the defendant allegedly canceled the route while still in Long Beach and attempted to convince the minor to go drinking with him.

It is also alleged that the defendant wanted the 15-year-old to go to his home in Brooklyn where he intended to sexually assault her. The victim refused, told the defendant she was only 15 and asked him multiple times to take her home, but the defendant allegedly continued driving in the wrong direction.

After reaching Brooklyn, the victim was able to convince the defendant that she had to use the bathroom at which point he pulled over, and she ran into a McDonald’s on Linden Boulevard to call the police. The defendant allegedly followed her into the McDonald’s but ran away before police arrived.

Following an investigation, the defendant was arrested by Nassau County Police Department outside of his Brooklyn home on July 16. Assistant District Attorney Matthew Perry of Singas’ Special Victims Bureau is prosecuting this case. Steven Gaitman, Esq. represents the defendant. The charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless found guilty.

— Alyssa Seidman