Sydney cabbie guilty of girl's sex abuse

A Sydney taxi driver who was on trial for sexually assaulting a deaf girl while she was in his cab has been taken into custody after being found guilty.

A taxi waits at a rank at Circular Quay in Sydney

A Sydney taxi driver has been found guilty of repeatedly sexually assaulting a profoundly deaf girl. (AAP)

The father of a deaf Sydney girl who was repeatedly sexually assaulted by her taxi driver says the family is relieved the trial is over and it's time to "move on".

Osman Chamseddine was accused of assaulting the girl when she was aged about 10 on several occasions in 2009 while he drove her to and from her special-needs school in western Sydney.

The 64-year-old denied ever touching her inappropriately, pleading not guilty to four counts of aggravated sexual intercourse and two counts of indecent assault.

But on Thursday, after days of deliberations the Parramatta District Court jury rejected his claim and found him guilty of all counts.

After the verdict was handed down, Chamseddine, who had been on bail throughout the trial, was taken into custody.

Speaking outside court, the girl's father, who cannot be named, said the family was relieved the trial was over.

"I'm just happy it's over and done and now it's time to move on," he told 2GB.

It comes after the trial heard Chamseddine would drive his van to a secluded spot and ask the girl, who is now 16, to sit in the front seat with him.

Chamseddine then allegedly began speaking to the girl in a "flirtatious manner" before reaching across and putting his hands in her vagina, crown prosecutor Andrew Metcalfe said.

On other occasions he got into the back of the van and touched her breast and forced her to touch his erect penis, Mr Metcalfe said.

"She tried to say stop but was frozen in fear," Mr Metcalfe said.

The child was too frightened to tell her parents at the time, but later came forward in 2012, telling one of her hearing-impaired high school friends who then informed a teacher.

The court heard Chamseddine, a subcontractor for RSL Taxis, was the only male driver hired for that route during the period of the offences - school terms two and three of 2009.

Mr Metcalfe said records found by the cab company and the description of the van given by the girl's mother matched Chamseddine's vehicle.

Chamseddine will return to court for sentencing proceedings in July.


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Source: AAP


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