Rideshare App Driver Convicted of Rape

DA Charme Allen announces that prosecutors in the Major Crimes Unit obtained convictions against a rideshare app driver who raped the woman he picked up through the app.  Christopher Wayne Stanifer, 44, was convicted of Rape and Public Indecency.  Judge Scott Green revoked Stanifer’s bond, ordered him into custody, and set the case for sentencing on September 27.

In a three-day trial, Deputy District Attorney Leland Price and Assistant District Attorney Rachel Hill explained to the jury that on September 15, 2020, the victim requested to be picked up at Drake’s on Morrell Road through a rideshare app.  Stanifer responded through the app and picked the victim up at 1:52 AM.  Seven minutes later, Stanifer and the victim arrived at the parking lot of the victim’s residence.  The victim was heavily intoxicated, and the next thing she remembered was being in the back seat of Stanifer’s car with Stanifer having sex with her.  The victim was initially unsure about whether to report the assault, but she ultimately contacted Knoxville Police Department Inv. Chas Terry because her level of intoxication made her incapable of giving consent to have sex.

“It is critical to understand that consent is the presence of a ‘yes’ and not just the absence of a ‘no,’ and the ‘yes’ must be made by someone who is not so impaired that they cannot fully understand what they are consenting to,” said DA Allen.

Rape is a Class B felony that carries a punishment between eight and twelve years in the Tennessee Department of Correction.  Assistant Victim Witness Coordinator Kara Sowards aided in the prosecution of this case.

If you have any questions, please contact Sean McDermott at 865-215-2515 or Sean.McDermott@knoxcounty.org. For more information about the District Attorney’s Office, visit our website at dag.knoxcountytn.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.