SerpApi.Org
A former Gwinnett County Public Schools special needs bus driver has been convicted of child molestation and public indecency after prosecutors said he sexually assaulted himself on a school bus while students were onboard.
Steven Edward Wilkins, 67, was found guilty of six counts of child molestation and four counts of public indecency following a bench trial in Gwinnett County Superior Court, according to the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors said video from bus cameras showed Wilkins sexually stimulating himself on four separate days between Jan. 31 and Feb. 9, 2023, while waiting in the bus lane at Suwanee Elementary School. Officials add at least one student was on the bus during each incident.
A parent reported suspicious behavior involving Wilkins, after walking her child to the bus on Feb. 9, 2023, according to the district attorney’s office.
Officials say a judge sentenced Wilkins to 20 years, with five years to serve in prison. He must also register as a sex offender for life and is prohibited from having further contact with minors.
“This is absolutely reprehensible behavior and will not be taken lightly,” District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said. “We are committed to protecting all victims, particularly those who are most vulnerable. This defendant will be monitored closely for the next 20 years and held accountable for the rest of his life.”
The Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office Special Victims Unit prosecuted the case with assistance from the Gwinnett County Schools Police Department.
