UBER DRIVER ACCUSED OF SEX ASSAULT IN BOYNTON

BOYNTON BEACH — A suburban Boca Raton man is accused of sexual battery on a woman he picked up in 2017 as a fare for the ride-sharing service Uber, according to Boynton Beach police.

City police arrested Aleksey Gafanovich on Thursday after recently tested DNA linked him to the February 2017 incident, according to a police arrest report. He remained in custody at the Palm Beach County Jail on Friday after a judge set his bail at $250,000.

A message left for Uber late Friday was not immediately returned. The ride-sharing service in the past has removed from its app drivers facing criminal allegations. It was not known if it had taken action in Gafanovich’s case.

Gafanovich’s accuser told police she called for a ride after going out with friends to celebrate her 21st birthday. Somewhere along Federal Highway in Boynton Beach, Gafanovich asked the woman if he could stop and smoke a cigarette, the report said.

The woman agreed and also stepped out of the vehicle to smoke. When they got back into the vehicle, Gafanovich allegedly touched the woman in an inappropriate manner, the police report said.

The woman sought medical attention after eventu- ally reaching her destination.

Police questioned Gafanovich, who denied the allegation. Testing conducted last month indicated that Gafanovich’s DNA was a likely match, the report said.