A Gwinnett County special-needs school bus driver has been convicted of child molestation and public indecency after prosecutors said he exposed himself and masturbated while parked in an elementary school bus lane with students on board. A judge sentenced 67-year-old Steven Edward Wilkins to 20 years, with five years to be served in prison, and ordered him to register as a sex offender for life. Officials said Wilkins will be barred from contact with minors after his release.
Case and conviction
A Gwinnett County judge found Wilkins guilty on six counts of child molestation and four counts of public indecency, according to CBS News Atlanta. Prosecutors brought the charges after an investigation into his conduct on a special-needs school bus in early 2023.
Evidence and timeline
Local court records and reporting show the investigation started after a parent reported suspicious behavior in February 2023. The alleged acts happened on at least four days between Jan. 30 and Feb. 9, 2023, with one or two students on the bus each time, as reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. After the tip came in, the district and law enforcement pulled Wilkins from his route and opened a formal probe, according to court records.
School response and employment history
Gwinnett County Public Schools removed Wilkins from his route, and he resigned soon afterward, local coverage from 2023 reported. The district said he had passed required background checks before he was hired. Reporting indicates Wilkins had previously worked for the district and was rehired in 2021, and school leaders publicly thanked the parent whose report triggered the investigation, per Atlanta News First.
Prosecutors' account and sentence
Prosecutors told jurors that video from the bus cameras showed Wilkins taking out a tablet and masturbating while waiting in the bus lane at Suwanee Elementary, and argued that the conduct occurred on multiple days with students on board. Based on that evidence and the jury's verdict, the judge imposed the 20-year sentence, with five years in prison. Gwinnett District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson called it “absolutely reprehensible behavior” that “will not be taken lightly,” according to CBS News Atlanta.
Aftermath and what parents were told
School officials urged families to keep using the district’s confidential safety tip line and stressed that the parent’s report allowed investigators to move quickly, as noted by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Any future developments in the case will appear in court dockets and other public records.
