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Uber driver found guilty of sexually assaulting Akron woman

He faces up to five years in prison.

A 33-year-old Uber driver has been found guilty of sexually assaulting an Akron woman he drove home last year.

Brandon Franklin, of Tallmadge, was convicted of one count of sexual battery, a third-degree felony. The jury reached a verdict after just over an hour of deliberations.

Prosecutors say Franklin drove the 22-year-old victim home in March of 2017 and assaulted her in her bedroom while she was passed out. The woman awoke to the attack and pushed him out of the room before running out of the house.

The incident brought Uber's hiring practices under local scrutiny. The company told WKYC at the time:

"What's been described is deeply upsetting and as soon as we became aware, we banned this driver from the app. We have provided information to the Akron Police Department and will continue to support them throughout their investigation."

Franklin is scheduled to be sentenced on May 22 at 1 p.m. He faces up to five years in prison.

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