70-year-old cab driver appears in Johnson County court on rape charge

Prosecutors have accused a 70-year-old cab driver of sexually assaulting a female passenger last December in Mission.

Abdul S. Sayed, of Olathe, is charged in Johnson County District Court with rape and aggravated criminal sodomy.

His bond was set at $500,000. He requested a court-appointed lawyer during his first court appearance Friday afternoon.

The assault occurred Dec. 13, according to the criminal complaint filed Thursday.

The complaint says the victim was “overcome by force or fear” or was unable to give consent to sexual contact because of intoxication.

Sayed was a driver for Kansas City-based Atlas Cab Co. at the time, according to company owner Mohammad Noor.

Noor said Sayed denied the allegation when questioned by police after the victim made a police report.

He had picked her up outside a bar in midtown Kansas City and drove her to a location in Mission.

Noor said Sayed had been a driver for his company for about a decade but was fired about three months ago because of complaints from customers about his driving.

In 2010, Sayed was charged in Johnson County with a misdemeanor count of sexual battery, according to court records. He pleaded no contest and was found guilty of simple battery and was placed on probation.

This story was originally published May 27, 2016 at 9:15 AM with the headline "70-year-old cab driver appears in Johnson County court on rape charge."