Oxford taxi owner accused of assaulting Miami U. students indicted

An Oxford man accused of sexually assaulting two Miami University students in his vehicle that serves as a taxi service has been indicted by a grand jury.

Sherman Jackson II, the owner and operator of Sherman’s Safe Ride, was indicted Thursday by a Butler County grand jury on three counts of rape and three counts of sexual battery, according to Butler County Prosecutor Michael Gmoser.

Jackson was originally charged with two counts of rape and two counts of kidnapping.

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Bond was set at $1 million for Jackson during a video arraignment Tuesday. He was scheduled to have a preliminary hearing Thursday in Butler County Area I Court, but because of the direct indictment, that hearing will not happen.

Two females filed separate reports with police accusing Jackson, 38, of the 5200 block of College Corner Pike, of sexually assaulting them in his vehicle, according to Oxford police. The incidents were reported last week.

The first alleged victim called 911 at about 12:35 a.m. Friday from West Collins Street and reported she had been assaulted, according to the police report.

The second incident was reported by a female who said she was assaulted between 1:30 and 4 a.m. Saturday on Brown Road, according to the report.

The first woman called 911 three times early Friday, once screaming, “Let me out, let me out” and then hanging up.

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Dispatchers called the woman back and were able to determine she was at the McDonald’s on South Locust Street.

“He was supposed to drop me off at home,” the woman sobbed in the call. “As soon as I got in the cab, he said he was going to take me to McDonald’s. I said, ‘No I want to go home.’ ”

Jackson approached officers Saturday when they were impounding his 2001 Chevrolet Suburban and he agreed to talk with them, according to a police report. After the interview, he was booked into the Butler County Jail.

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As part of the city’s taxi permit process, Oxford Police Lt. Lara Fening said Jackson underwent a background check and passed.

She said Jackson is a local resident and that she has known him since he was a teenager.

Jackson was convicted for disorderly conduct in 2010, a traffic violation and five civil cases.

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