About 100 miles south of Englewood, a New Jersey school bus driver is charged with the sexual assault of an eight-year-old girl. Law enforcement officials say the assault took place on a school bus with the girl's five-year-old brother in the bus.
Atlantic County Police say the bus driver, 58, pulled the vehicle over a week ago in Hammonton as he was finishing his route from a nearby elementary school. Law enforcement officials say only two children remained on the bus at the time: the alleged victim and her younger brother.
Officials charge the bus driver with telling the boy to go to the back of the bus. It was then that the driver allegedly assaulted the girl, who was sitting in the front of the vehicle, according to police.
Later, the girl told her mother of the alleged incident. The mother then called the local police department.
The suspect was arrested two days later at his Hammonton apartment and charged with first-degree aggravated sexual assault, second-degree sexual assault and third-degree endangering the welfare of a child.
He was taken to the county jail, where he was held in lieu of a $150,000 bond.
He was suspended by the bus company and then shortly thereafter fired.
In similar situations, people facing these kinds of serious criminal charges
do well to speak to a criminal defense attorney who understands not only
the law, but how to protect a defendant's constitutional rights and
their interests, whether it's in negotiations with prosecutors or at trial.
Source: NBC: "Bus Driver Charged With Sexually Assaulting 8-Year-Old," April 12, 2012