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A jury in Collin County, Texas has convicted a Frisco-area Uber driver of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl during what should have been a routine medical transport arranged through Uber Health, CBS News reporter Ginger Allen reported yesterday. The child’s mother is now speaking publicly, hoping to prevent other families from experiencing the same fear and heartbreak.
The girl was 12 years old and undergoing treatment for anxiety at a pediatric mental health facility in Frisco. The facility used Uber Health to send her home. “They offered this service, and I thought it was safe,” her mother told CBS News Texas.
Instead of driving the girl directly home, prosecutors said driver, Robert Johnson III, 33, stopped in parking lots along the way and assaulted her. The girl later told her mother she was terrified because “he knew where we lived.”
Johnson was arrested shortly after the incident but later disappeared after removing his ankle monitor. Authorities issued a statewide alert. He was found six months later in Houston after what officials described as a shootout with police. A jury recently sentenced him to eight years in prison.
The child’s mother says the family trusted the company’s policies — policies that clearly state minors are not allowed to ride alone. “Why did they have the policy?” asked the family’s attorney. “Well, we allege they had the policy because of all the statistics they themselves have acknowledged and published about thousands of sexual assaults, situations that have occurred over the years in their cars.”
She has now filed a civil lawsuit against Uber. “I should have done more research,” she said. “I should have looked into it more. Turned out to be a nightmare.”
The broader safety conversation
Between 2017 and 2022, Uber reported 12,522 sexual assaults nationwide. Lyft reported 6,809 assaults from 2020 through 2022. These numbers only reflect incidents riders or drivers choose to report. Investigators say the reality may be far more widespread.
A New York Times investigation uncovered sealed court documents showing that Uber received more than 400,000 sexual assault or misconduct reports in the U.S. during that same five-year period. Additionally, a Government Accountability Office review found that current national crime databases are incomplete and inconsistent when it comes to tracking rideshare-related sexual assault.
As one attorney told CBS News Texas: “I’d say one sexual assault is too many.”
The push for legislative change
In Colorado, State Representative Jenny Willford — who herself survived a rideshare assault — sponsored a bill that would have required broader disclosure of safety data, stronger background checks, and in-car video surveillance. Although it passed both chambers, it was vetoed following industry pressure, including warnings Uber might leave the state.
Willford called the outcome “devastating,” saying survivors are repeatedly asked to tell painful stories “and then for big tech to continue to win, it’s devastating.”
The mother in North Texas hopes her civil lawsuit, and her daughter’s bravery in testifying during the criminal trial, will lead to change. “The reason she’s testifying,” she said, “is she doesn’t want this to happen to anyone else.”
Are You Or A Loved One A Survivor of Uber Driver Sexual Assault?
If Uber failed to keep you or your child safe, you are not alone. Survivors across the country are demanding accountability. Learn about your legal rights and the litigation with our Uber Sexual Assault Lawsuit Guide. You may also request a confidential case review below by completing the secure form. Our intake team may help connect you with an attorney who specializes in rideshare assault cases.
