School bus driver accused of sexually assaulting teen is out of a job, SC cops say
A 74-year-old school bus driver accused of sexually assaulting a teenager is out of a job in South Carolina, officials said.
Windell Sutton Powell Jr. was arrested after Oconee County deputies said their investigation revealed he had sexual contact with a minor.
The School District of Oconee County in a statement said it was “aware of the horrendous allegations against a former bus driver” who started as an employee in October 2016. The worker was out of a job as of Tuesday, May 3.
“The district is cooperating fully with law enforcement,” school officials told McClatchy News. “However, since this is an active law enforcement investigation, we cannot comment further at this time.”
The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office in a news release didn’t share attorney information for Powell.
On May 3, deputies said they launched an investigation after a family member reported text messages Powell exchanged with a teen.
“Based on evidence that was gathered during the investigation, it was determined that Powell, Jr. had sexually assaulted the victim, who is a teenager, between November of 2021 and May of 2022,” deputies wrote. “The investigation involved only one victim.”
Powell — a Seneca resident — was charged with criminal solicitation of a minor as well as several counts of criminal sexual conduct with a minor. He was taken to the Oconee County jail in Walhalla, roughly 45 miles west of Greenville.
An investigation was ongoing as of May 4, officials said.
This story was originally published May 5, 2022 at 9:27 AM with the headline "School bus driver accused of sexually assaulting teen is out of a job, SC cops say."
