Guelph cab driver accused of sexually assaulting 2 passengers

CTV Kitchener: Taxi driver charged A taxi driver in Guelph is accused of inappropriately touching two female passengers in recent days. Marc Venema reports.

A taxi driver from Guelph faces two charges of sexual assault in connection with two separate incidents.

According to Guelph Police, the first incident occurred early Saturday morning and involved a driver taking three female passengers to separate destinations

Once only one of the three remained in the Red Top Taxi cab, police say, the driver reached over and touched her in a sexual manner.

Early Monday morning, a similar incident was reported to police.

In that case, police say, a Red Top driver inappropriately touched a passenger in the front seat as she and others were being transported out of the downtown area.

Habib Barsoum, 49, was arrested and charged.

He was also "removed from the driver pool" at Red Top Taxi after the allegations came to light, company president Cindy Cole told CTV News.

"Red Top Taxi in no way, shape or form condones this at all," she said.

Cole said Barsoum has been driving for Red Top since May 2012, and had not previously been the subject of complaints.

Police say they want to hear from anyone else with information about these or other similar incidents.