A man accused of assaulting a passenger while working as an Uber driver was indicted Friday on a felony count of aggravated sexual battery, according to online court records.
This is the second time that Thomas Jefferson Dyne, 41, of Roanoke County, has been charged in the case. An initial count of misdemeanor sexual battery was withdrawn by the prosecution last month.
At the time, defense attorney David Steidle said he had been advised that the prosecutor’s office was weighing its next steps and might move to refile the case as a felony.
Dyne maintains his innocence, Steidle said.
On Friday, a grand jury granted a request to indict Dyne on the felony charge. A hearing date wasn’t immediately set on the Roanoke County Circuit Court’s online docket.
Dyne was arrested Sept. 9 and charged with sexually battery of a passenger who had been in downtown Roanoke and used Uber to book a ride home, according to the Roanoke County Police Department.
Due to the sensitive nature of the case, the police released few other details about the matter. Uber said it terminated Dyne immediately after learning of the charge and was cooperating with the law enforcement investigation.
