A Metro Transit bus driver has been charged with soliciting a teenager after briefly refusing to let her off the bus and demanding that she perform a sex act on him, according to a complaint filed this week in Hennepin County District Court.
Metro Transit bus driver charged with soliciting teen
Teen filed complaint saying driver pressured her for sex, refused to let her off the bus.
October 10, 2015 at 2:06PM
Mahmud Dabshir Aden, 32, of Minneapolis, was arrested Wednesday afternoon by Metro Transit police officers, the day after the 16-year-old victim filed a complaint about the incident, court records show.
Aden was charged with soliciting for prostitution, a felony that carries a sentence of as much as 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $50,000. He is being held pending his next court appearance Monday afternoon.
"Obviously this is not what we expect of our operators, nor is it something we're accustomed to," said Metro Transit spokesman Howie Padilla, adding that "at this time [Aden is] not driving for us."
The victim described to police an "escalating series of inappropriate behavior" by Aden, during which he had repeatedly asked her out.
The complaint says that on the night of Oct. 5, the girl boarded a southbound route No. 7 bus, which was being driven by Aden, near the 46th Street light-rail station in south Minneapolis.
The complaint says that Aden refused to let her off at her stop, continuing his route "until his layover at 34th Avenue South and Hwy. 62," even after she "pulled the string on the bus." The complaint says that he turned off the lights on the bus and exposed himself, after telling her that if she performed a sexual act on him he would "give her $100 and a cellphone." After she rebuffed him again, police said, Aden drove the girl back to her bus stop.
The ordeal lasted about half an hour, according to police.
Padilla said that he was unsure whether Aden has had previous problems during his time with the transportation agency. "When we became aware of this, obviously we took immediate action to address the issue," he said.
It was not clear Friday afternoon whether Aden has an attorney.
Libor Jany • 612-673-4064 Twitter:@StribJany
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