Lyft driver from Harrison accused of exposing himself, groping passenger

A Harrison man accused of exposing himself to a woman and groping her last month while driving for the ride-sharing service Lyft was ordered Wednesday to stand trial.

Indiana Township police said Douglas Timothy Moore, 53, picked up a woman who requested a ride to West Deer and then drove her back to her house Nov. 20. He invited her to sit in the front seat on the return trip.

When they arrived back at her house, Moore put his vehicle in park and pulled down his pants to expose himself before groping the woman and asking her to perform a sex act, according to a criminal complaint filed in the case. The vehicle’s doors were locked.

After the woman told Moore to stop and refused his request, he asked for her cellphone number, which she refused to provide, the complaint said.

“He then said, ‘That is OK, I still have your number from the ride, and I can still contact you,’ ” the complaint said.

Moore then unlocked the vehicle’s doors and the woman ran into her house, according to the complaint.

“Safety is fundamental to Lyft and the incident described is unacceptable. The driver has been banned from the Lyft community and we have reached out to the rider. We have been in touch with law enforcement and stand ready to assist as needed,” said Lyft spokeswoman Dana Davis.

Moore’s attorney, Gary Evan Gerson of Pittsburgh, said Moore insists he is not guilty. A formal arraignment in Allegheny County Court is scheduled for February.

Lyft and its competitor, Uber, have faced questions about whether they are doing enough to protect the safety of riders and drivers.

Dozens of women are suing Lyft, claiming the company should have done more to protect them from driver assaults, the Associated Press reported. Uber released a report this month showing that more than 3,000 sexual assaults were reported by riders and drivers in the United States in 2018, according to AP. Drivers for Uber provided 1.3 billion rides last year, according to Uber’s report.