PHOENIX — A rideshare driver is in custody accused of sex crimes against a 16-year-old girl he was taking home from school.
35-year-old Benjamin Muritala faces multiple charges in connection to the incidents that took place on April 15 and 16.
On April 15, the girl told police she had fallen asleep on the ride back to her group home from school, when she was woken up by Muritala calling her name.
That's when she says Muritala pulled the vehicle onto a neighborhood street approximately 40 minutes away from her home, asking her to undress and engage in sexual acts.
As Muritala dropped the girl off at her home, he allegedly threatened her by telling her not to tell anyone.
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The next day, Muritala again picked up the girl from school, where she fell asleep again and woke up to Muritala calling her name.
Muritala then stopped behind various stores and asked her "if they could do what they did yesterday."
Shortly following the second incident, the girl reported what happened to group home staff.
Muritala was later located and denied touching the girl, according to court paperwork.
After providing access to his phone, police located inappropriate photos and videos of children.
He now faces charges of sexual abuse, sexual conduct with a minor and sexual exploitation of a minor.
ABC15 received a statement from HopSkipDrive, the rideshare service Muritala drove for, stating:
"We are devastated and deeply disturbed by what is described here and our hearts and thoughts are with the rider. Safety is everything to HopSkipDrive and has driven our work since day one, which is why we have relentlessly invested in policies, procedures, and products designed to keep riders safe. Immediately upon becoming aware of this incident, we removed the driver’s access to the HopSkipDrive platform, reached out to law enforcement to support their investigation in any way we can, and have remained in contact with our clients to support them and extend our support to the rider. We will continue to do everything we can to support law enforcement as they take any and all actions necessary.”
Scottsdale Unified School District also provided a statement:
"In light of the challenges in recruiting school bus drivers, the Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD), like many other districts, has engaged third-party vendors to assist in transporting students to whom we have a legal obligation to provide transportation. Hop Skip Drive is one of three transportation providers currently contracted."
Recently, the district was made aware of allegations leveled against a driver employed by HopSkipDrive. The allegations are absolutely abhorrent. No one should ever be subjected to the behavior/conduct that is being alleged. SUSD takes these allegations with the utmost seriousness and is fully cooperating with the ongoing investigation being conducted by the Phoenix Police Department.
Simultaneously, we are conducting a thorough review of the processes that HopSkipDrive has in place to ensure the safety and well-being of our students. We have been assured that background checks are a standard practice for all of its drivers, along with fingerprinting. We are working closely with HopSkipDrive to identify any additional measures that can be implemented to protect our students.
The safety and security of our students remains a top priority and the district will continue to cooperate with the investigation."
The Arizona Department of Health Services sent the following statement:
"We take these allegations seriously. As of 4/24/24, Benjamin O Muritala is no longer an Arizona State Hospital employee. Muritala was hired as a Behavioral Health Technician on 3/25/24.
ASH only serves adult patients, so Muritala did not come into contact with any minor patients as part of his role. The company cited above (HopSkipDrive) has no affiliation with the state hospital."
