San Diego

Trial to Begin for Ex-Uber Driver Accused of Rape

John David Sanchez is accused of being a serial rapist, with his youngest alleged victim only 13 years old.

Trial was set to begin Tuesday for a former Uber driver accused of raping a vomiting, intoxicated female passenger in February and sexually assaulting five other victims between 2011 and 2014.

John David Sanchez, 53, is accused of being a serial rapist, with his youngest alleged victim only 13 years old.

There are seven victims in the case. Four have been identified by police, but three victims were still unidentified at the time of Sanchez's arraignment in May 2016.

The charging documents indicate Sanchez may have recorded his alleged crimes and saved the videos.

The new charges include a count of performing lewd acts on a child under the age of 14, trying to prevent a witness from reporting a crime and employment of a minor to perform prohibited acts.

A deputy district attorney told NBC 7 the final count pertains to the production of child pornography.

NBC 7 has learned Sanchez worked as a DJ and ran a "video production and distribution" company. 

Sanchez pleaded not guilty to the new charges. He faces a maximum of 37 years and four months in prison if convicted on all the charges.

Sanchez's attorney, Peter Blair, said his client denied all charges. 

Sanchez was first arrested March 29 and was terminated from Uber immediately. He pleaded not guilty and posted bail.

The ride-hailing company issued a statement after Sanchez's initial arrest, saying "Uber takes safety incidents like this very seriously" and has "been working closely with law enforcement."

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