A 73-year-old former charter school bus attendant in Prescott Valley has been sentenced to 14 years in prison after admitting he attempted to molest a 5-year-old child he was entrusted to transport safely to and from school. Corby Scott Bradford pleaded guilty in August to two counts of attempted child molestation and was sentenced on Oct. 19.
According to azfamily.com, Prescott Valley police opened their investigation into Bradford in February 2024 after the child's mother came forward with allegations. She reported that Bradford had offered her 5-year-old candy in exchange for sexual contact and had touched the child inappropriately. Authorities said investigators went on to find evidence corroborating the child's account.
County Attorney Says Trust Was Betrayed
Yavapai County Attorney Dennis McGrane announced Bradford's sentencing and did not mince words about the breach of trust at the center of the case. McGrane said the community had trusted Bradford to keep children safe on his school bus, and that instead he victimized a child for his own sexual desires, per the same account from the station.
“I hope the lengthy sentence in this case will send a message that crimes like this will not be tolerated in Yavapai County,” McGrane said, according to the report.
What Comes After Prison
Under the terms of his sentence, Bradford faces consequences that extend well beyond his time behind bars. If he survives his prison sentence, Bradford must register as a sex offender and serve lifetime probation, the station's report notes.
Arizona law treats molestation of a child as a serious felony offense. Per the Arizona Legislature, child molestation is classified as a class 2 felony under state statute. Separately, the state's sex-offender registration law, outlined by the Arizona Legislature at a second statute, governs who must register, the procedures involved, and related assessments for people convicted of certain offenses, including attempted offenses.
