A 50-year-old Mongolian national on an Australian student visa has been refused bail in Sydney after allegedly sexually assaulting a 17 year old passenger he picked up through the DiDi rideshare platform.
NSW Police allege Amarbayasgalan Yondonlodoi stopped his vehicle in North Sydney on the morning of Tuesday 2 June, climbed into the back seat, and assaulted the teenager, who was on her way to work. Officers were called to Carlow Street in North Sydney around 7.30am. The teenager was assessed at the scene and taken to hospital.
According to NSW Police, Yondonlodoi continued driving for DiDi after the alleged assault and picked up further passengers. He was arrested at Sydney International Airport about 6.30pm on Wednesday 3 June, more than 30 hours after the alleged offence, while he was dropping off another customer. He was taken to Surry Hills Police Station.
He has been charged with one count of enter, take or detain a person with intent to obtain advantage causing actual bodily harm, and one count of aggravated sexual assault, deprivation of liberty. He was refused bail at Parramatta Bail Court on Thursday 4 June and the matter was adjourned to 30 July. He will require a Mongolian interpreter for court.
The Daily Telegraph reports Yondonlodoi is in Australia on a Subclass 500 student visa. Mongolia is a landlocked country in north east Asia, bordered by Russia and China, with a population of around 3.4 million. The Subclass 500 visa has no upper age limit. Applicants over the age of 40 are flagged as higher risk under the Department of Home Affairs Genuine Student requirement and may be asked to provide additional documentation to demonstrate a genuine intention to study. The typical applicant age range is 18 to 35.
DiDi said it suspended Yondonlodoi from the platform when it became aware of the alleged assault. In a statement provided to the Daily Mail, the company said, "The safety of the entire ridesharing community is always our top priority. All passengers should feel safe and respected during their trip, and we will continue our mission to maximise the safety of our platform for the wellbeing of our passengers. We will continue to work with law enforcement and the regulator in their continued investigations, and provide support to the passenger where needed."
Rideshare in New South Wales is regulated by the NSW Point to Point Transport Commissioner. To drive for the platform, an applicant must hold an unrestricted Australian driver’s licence, a current medical, a National Police Check issued within the past three months, and accreditation from Transport for NSW. The National Police Check covers offences recorded in Australia. It doesn’t capture offences a person may have committed in their country of origin.
DiDi has been before the Commissioner over driver vetting before. In 2021, the company was fined more than $97,000 after a safety audit found gaps in its eligibility checks on drivers. The Commissioner imposed criminal fines of $15,400 in court and regulatory penalties for the balance. DiDi was directed to bring in an external auditor and has since complied.
Two NSW rideshare service providers have lost their authorisations in the past 12 months. Apex Cabs was cancelled in November 2025 after a safety audit found inadequate driver onboarding and ongoing driver management. Whitecab Services was cancelled in May 2025 for similar failures.
Federal immigration data shows Australia had 2.98 million temporary visa holders in the country as of January 2026, the highest figure on record. The Subclass 500 student visa allows up to 48 hours of paid work per fortnight during study periods and unlimited hours during scheduled course breaks. The cap was lifted from 40 to 48 hours by the Albanese government in July 2023, citing labour shortages.
In 2024, the Department of Home Affairs cancelled 12,400 student visas for work related breaches.
Aggravated sexual assault under section 61J of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) carries a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment, with a standard non parole period of 10 years. The aggravated kidnapping charge under section 86 carries a maximum of 25 years. The 17-year-old he allegedly assaulted will live with what happened to her for the rest of her life.
Yondonlodoi is next due in court on 30 July.
Sources:
• NSW Police media statement, 4 June 2026
• Yahoo News Australia: DiDi driver allegedly rapes 17yo passenger
• Mosman Collective: North Sydney rideshare sexual assault charge
• The Noticer: Mongolian DiDi driver charged over Sydney teen assault
• The Daily Telegraph (student visa status, court reporting)
• NSW Point to Point Transport Commissioner: DiDi safety audit and fines (2021)
• NSW Point to Point Transport Commissioner: Apex Cabs authorisation cancellation
• NSW Point to Point Transport Commissioner: Whitecab authorisation cancellation
• AECC Global: Student visa working hours in Australia
