VENTURA, Calif. — An Uber driver from Bakersfield pled guilty to kidnapping to commit rape of an unconscious passenger he picked up outside a Thousand Oaks bar, prosecutors announced.
Read the Ventura County District Attorney's Office release: https://da.venturacounty.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/Uber-Driver-Pleads-Guilty-to-Kidnapping-to-Commit-Rape-of-Unconscious-Passenger.pdf
District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced the plea on November 10, 2026, in Release No. 26-168.
The case is No. 2025031576, the District Attorney's Office stated.
Simranjit Singh Sekhon, of Bakersfield, pled guilty on November 6, 2026, the District Attorney's Office stated.
Sekhon remains out of custody pending sentencing, the District Attorney's Office stated.
A Thousand Oaks Pickup, A Camarillo Ride, And An Assault
Sekhon picked up the victim outside a Thousand Oaks bar at approximately 1:00 a.m. on November 27, 2025, to transport her to her home in Camarillo, the District Attorney's Office stated.
The victim, who was intoxicated, fell asleep during the ride, the District Attorney's Office stated.
After the trip should have concluded, Sekhon continued driving the unconscious victim around Camarillo and sexually assaulted her, the District Attorney's Office stated.
The Ventura County Sheriff's Office investigated the case and arrested Sekhon in Los Angeles County on December 15, 2025, the District Attorney's Office stated.
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The Plea, The Charge, And The Aggravating Factor
Sekhon pled guilty to kidnapping to commit rape under Penal Code § 209(b)(1), the District Attorney's Office stated.
Sekhon also admitted the aggravating factor of taking advantage of a position of trust under California Rules of Court 4.421(a)(11), the District Attorney's Office stated.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Twyla Atmore, a member of the Ventura County District Attorney's Office Sexual Assault Unit, is prosecuting the case, the District Attorney's Office stated.
"The victim made a responsible decision and placed her trust in the defendant to return her safely to her home," Ms. Atmore said. "The defendant exploited the victim's vulnerable condition by sexually assaulting her. His conduct was predatory and deserving of the sentence he will receive."
Sentencing in December, Seven Years to Life, And What Happens Next
Sekhon is scheduled to be sentenced on December 9, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. in courtroom 12 of the Ventura County Superior Court, the District Attorney's Office stated.
Sekhon faces seven years to life in state prison, the District Attorney's Office stated.
Anyone with information about a crime in Ventura County can contact local law enforcement or Ventura County Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).
Sources Ventura County District Attorney's Office, "Uber Driver Pleads Guilty to Kidnapping to Commit Rape of Unconscious Passenger," Release No. 26-168, November 10, 2026: https://da.venturacounty.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/Uber-Driver-Pleads-Guilty-to-Kidnapping-to-Commit-Rape-of-Unconscious-Passenger.pdf