The Logan County sheriff said it happened last week on a Benjamin Logan Local Schools bus, where the district said the teen was a bus helper who assisted younger students on the bus.
An investigation began Thursday after the girl reported to her parents she was sexually abused on her way home from school Wednesday.
Benjamin Logan has a mix of elementary, middle and high school students on the same bus because routes can go up to an hour away from the schools, according to the district.
Younger students sit in the front, while older students sit in the back, except for bus helpers.
“The student ... violated a lot of trust in a lot of ways,” Superintendent Dave Harmon said.
The district informed all parents of students on that bus about the allegations, and asked them to talk to their children in case there were other incidents.
The district is in the process of drawing up suspension paperwork for the teen, who faces criminal charges of rape and gross sexual imposition.
Harmon said deputies told him the teen confessed to them. Also, he said the district turned over security camera footage from the bus to investigators.
As for the 6-year-old girl, Harmon praised her for coming forward. “Very brave young lady to speak up and say, ‘Hey, this is not right.’”
INITIAL REPORT:
A 15-year-old male Benjamin Logan High School student was arrested for rape and gross sexual imposition after allegedly assaulting a 6-year-old girl.
The incident took place on a school bus on Wednesday, according to Logan County Sheriff Randall Dodds.
The girl reportedly told her parents about the incident Thursday.
The teen is being held in the Logan County Juvenile Detention Center and the sheriff’s office is investigating to see if there are other victims, according to Dodds.
Logan County Children Services and Benjamin Logan Local School District are assisting in the investigation.
“We were asked not to widely announce this to the entire school system until the Logan County Sheriff’s Office had the opportunity to reach out to all the families that may have had a student involved,” Harmon said in an emailed statement.
A letter informing parents of the investigation was sent home with students Monday, Harmon said.
Harmon described the bus driver as “completely distraught” about the alleged incident and requested for, and was granted, time away from work.
“I have no evidence that the driver in question was in any was in dereliction of duties or anything like that,” Harmon said.
We will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.
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