Middle Eastern culture's attitude toward women on display: Teen says driver rubbed, stroked her in cab

03/04/2014

Come sit on Uncle Achmad's lap, baby...

Roswell police have charged Sandy Springs cab driver Mohammad Zolfaghari with sexual battery after allegedly molesting a teenage fare.

NORTH FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — 

Roswell police have charged a Sandy Springs cab driver with sexual battery after investigators said he molested a teenage fare.

Mohammad Zolfaghari, 38, faces sexual battery and sodomy solicitation charges stemming from the May 2013 incident.

The victim, who was 17 at the time, told Channel 2’s Mike Petchenik that Zolfaghari picked her and some friends up from a party in Sandy Springs, and when had her alone in the car, he started to grope her.

“I’m sitting in the car. He’s touching me, saying ‘pretty, pretty, pretty.’  That’s what he kept saying,” the woman told Petchenik.  “He was rubbing on me and stroking me and I was like: ‘no, take me home.’”

The woman told Petchenik the door to the cab was locked so she couldn’t escape.  She finally demanded he take her home, which he finally did, but not before making her pay $34 for the ride.

“I was more scared and irritated than anything,” she said. “I was like, why me?  Why do you have to mess with me right now tonight?”

Sandy Springs police initially took the case, but then sent it to Roswell after determining the alleged assaulted happened there.

Last week, police took warrants on Zolfaghari after the victim was able to pick him out of a lineup, police said.

The victim said she’s relieved Zolfaghari’s facing charges, but still very angry about the situation.

“I hope somebody takes his little man parts, strings them up on a broom, and burns the broom,” she said.

Roswell police said they want to know if there are other victims.

“People don’t always report things.  They’re afraid to come through or don’t think police can do anything,” said Roswell police officer Lisa Holland.  “If you do recognize this driver and you had some sort of incident happen between you and him that was inappropriate, please contact the Roswell Police department.”

Petchenik discovered Zolfaghari bonded out of jail and is already back on the road driving a cab.  A man who runs a cab service in Sandy Springs told Petchenik he was not aware of the charges, but after learning of the arrest, he planned to take Zolfagharioff the road.  Petchenik tried to reach Zolfaghari for comment, but his call wasn’t returned.

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