A Napa Valley Unified School District bus driver has been charged with a felony sex offense stemming from alleged conduct that occurred more than a decade ago, long before he was hired to drive students to and from school. Benjamin Solis, 35, was arrested on a warrant on August 30 and is now out on $25,000 bail while the case moves toward a court date in November.
According to The Napa Valley Register, court documents allege Solis had sexual contact on three separate occasions between November 1, 2015, and July 31, 2016, with a 16-year-old he had met at church. He was 24 or 25 at the time of the alleged offenses, and court documents state he admitted knowing the alleged victim was under 18. The charges do not involve any current Napa Valley Unified School District student, and the arrest warrant was issued only after Solis had already been hired by the district as a bus driver.
Napa police investigators requested a criminal complaint and warrant on June 16, and the warrant for Solis was formally issued on August 27, per the same report. Officers spotted Solis driving near the 2500 block of Laurel Street on August 30 and recognized him as having an outstanding warrant, according to a Napa Police Department Instagram post cited in the coverage. He was detained without incident following the traffic stop, booked into the Napa County jail, and released roughly four hours later after posting bail.
Separately, Crime Voice reported that officers booked Solis under California Penal Code 287 for oral copulation with a minor, citing alleged aggravating factors under California Rules of Court 4.421. Solis is scheduled to appear in Napa County Superior Court on November 5, where he will be arraigned on the felony charge.
District Says Video Review Turned Up Nothing
NVUSD placed Solis on unpaid leave immediately after being notified of his arrest, according to the Register's reporting. The district said it reviewed bus video recordings connected to Solis's route and, per district officials, found no concerning footage after a thorough review.
NVUSD spokesperson Julie Bordes said the district notified families with students on the affected bus route and sent a broader message to all NVUSD families about the situation. The family email included guidance for discussing the matter with children, along with resources in English and Spanish for families with non-verbal students. “Nvusd takes the safety and care of students and staff very seriously,” Bordes said, according to the Register.
How the Charge Could Have Slipped Past a Background Check
Bordes noted that NVUSD staff undergo a thorough Department of Justice background check before hiring, followed by professional reference checks required for every hire, and that the district offers employment only to applicants who meet those requirements. A Department of Justice background check identifies whether an applicant has an existing state or federal criminal history record at the time of screening.
Because the warrant against Solis wasn't issued until August 2026, years after any pre-employment screening, it would not have surfaced during his initial hiring background check. Separately, earning the Special Driver Certificate required to operate a school bus in California requires a Department of Justice LiveScan fingerprint check through the California Highway Patrol, 40 hours of mandated instruction, and passing CHP written, practical, and first aid exams, according to the California Highway Patrol. Bus drivers must also undergo regular medical exams along with drug and alcohol testing throughout their employment.
Why Charges Can Still Be Filed a Decade Later
California's statute prohibiting oral copulation with a minor was renumbered from Penal Code 288a to Penal Code 287 effective January 1, 2019, following passage of Senate Bill 1494, according to Eisner Gorin LLP. Under the statute, when the defendant is over 21 and the victim is younger than 16, the offense is prosecuted as a felony carrying a maximum sentence of three years in state prison; sex-offender registration requirements vary by offense and circumstances.
California law generally allows prosecutors to initiate felony charges under Penal Code 287 up until the victim's 40th birthday, or within one year after a police report is filed once standard limitation periods have expired, according to the Shouse Law Group. That extended window explains how Napa police were able to pursue a warrant a decade after the alleged conduct took place.
Napa Valley Unified School District serves more than 16,000 students, making it the largest public school system in Napa County, according to district figures. School districts have grappled with school-bus-driver shortages in recent years. The Napa County District Attorney's Office lists 2026 updates and a newsletter.
