Uber pledges to improve background checks after sexual assault claim
Uber has pledged to improve its vetting procedures after admitting that a man arrested in Dallas on suspicion of sexually assaulting a passenger was granted approval to drive for the company by mistake. Uber driver Talal Ali Chammout was arrested on 29 July, accused of attacking a female rider, despite the fact that court documents show he was convicted of assault in California in 1995 and sentenced to 78 months in federal prison in 2007 for weapons offences. &ldquo;Our internal investigation has shown that while we have strict policies and procedures, these were not properly followed,&rdquo; Uber&rsquo;s Dallas general manager, Leandre Johns, wrote in a letter to a Dallas city compliance official.
Danger: Uber has admitted to allowing Talal Ali Chammout (above) become a driver after he presented a fake city permit to obtain approval. A female passenger has accused him of sexually assaulting her last month

An internal investigation by Uber has found that the popular ride sharing company mistakenly granted driver status to a man who is now accused of sexually assaulting a female passenger.

Uber Dallas General Manager Leandre Johns revealed the problem in a letter to the Dallas code compliance officials, WFAA reported.

The letter states that Talal Ali Chammout, 56, presented a fake city permit to obtain approval by Uber to become a driver.

Johns said that because the permit was accepted as genuine, Uber thought he had already passed a city background check, so the company did not perform one of its own.

Chammout, who has a felony on his record, would have immediately failed the background check in Dallas.

The Associated Press reported Chammout was released from prison in 2012 after serving time on a federal weapons charge.

Police say that Chammout picked a female passenger and dropped her off at her residence on July 25.

The woman told police that Chammout followed her inside of her home and sexually assaulted her.

He was arrested and charged with sexual assault on August 5 in Dallas.

Charged: Talal Ali Chammout (above) was arrested and charged with sexual assault on Aug. 5. He was released from prison in 2012 after serving time on a federal weapons charge

WFAA reported that based on the nature of the allegations and Chammout's prior convictions, a Dallas County district judge increased his bond from $100,000 to $250,000.

He bonded out of the Dallas County Jail under conditions that included he 'not leave the State of Texas' and 'not act as a driver or provided transportation.'

Going forward, Uber says it will take additional steps to improve safety procedures in Dallas, which include more spot checks to verify that identification and documents in their system are accurate.

The company also said they are creating a new approval layer before drivers who sign up to use Uber are allowed to accept rides.

Mistake: Uber says it will take additional steps to improve safety procedures in Dallas. An official with the company said on Friday that mistakes were made 'in this instance'

Johns said the company has conducted an 'audit of all limo companies and livery drivers who use Uber in Dallas.'

He admitted on Friday that the company made mistakes.

'In this instance, we failed to live up to our own high standards, for which we are truly sorry,' Johns said.