10-year-old accused of sexually assaulting student on school bus, Texas police say

A 10-year-old is accused of sexually assaulting a fellow student on a school bus in Texas, police say.

A mother told police in February that her 9-year-old child was sexually assaulted on the school bus in Early, a small town in central Texas, according to a news release.

When the bus was in a school parking lot, the driver exited to help another student aboard, police say. The driver was helping a student who is handicapped, Early Police Chief David Mercer told KTAB.

That’s when the 10-year-old is accused of sexually assaulting the student, police say.

The mother said her daughter and the boy were the only students on the bus because their classes had been disciplined and had to stay late, KTAB reported.

A nurse who specializes in sexual assault examinations collected evidence from the victim, which was sent to the Texas Department of Public Safety for testing, police said.

The 10-year-old also submitted DNA evidence and spoke to investigators in an interview, police said. The student was arrested after a “directive to apprehend” from a juvenile probation officer, police said.

“Early Police Department worked directly with Early Independent School District and the parents of both the victim and the suspects,” according to the news release.

Early ISD Superintendent Wes Beck declined to comment because it concerns student privacy and discipline and personnel issues.

The bus driver was not charged with a crime.

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