Greenland bus driver charged with stalking boy has bail hearing. What was said in court

CONCORD, N.H. – A U.S. District Court judge ruled that the ex-bus driver accused of threatening and interstate stalking of a Greenland Central School student and his family must remain detained pending trial.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrea Johnstone denied bail release for Michael Chick, the Eliot, Maine resident and bus driver formerly employed by First Student who had routes in Greenland and Rye, at the Concord courthouse on Thursday afternoon.

Chick was arrested on Aug. 5.

Representing Chick is federal public defender Behzad Mirhashem, who argued for home incarceration for Chick. The judge rejected the request.

Assistant United States Attorney Kasey Weiland, the prosecutor of Chick’s case, read a prepared statement from the family of the child allegedly targeted by Chick before the judge’s decision.

Choosing not to attend Chick’s hearing, the family wrote that they are “sick with worry” that the ex-bus driver could contact the child in the future. The family continued by stating, “We will forever be scarred by this man’s actions.”

“He is a predator of the worst kind,” the family wrote of Chick. “Protect us and protect the public by keeping him out of society.”

During Chick’s hearing, Weiland noted that the child stated in forensics interviews that he had no inappropriate physical contact with Chick and denied sending any images or giving any clothing to the former bus driver.

Weiland commented after the hearing that a member of the state’s victim witness team had been in touch with the boy's family to let them know Chick would not be released from jail.

“This has been a very difficult and trying time for them and I'm sure that they will be relieved to know the outcome of today's hearing,” she said.

What is Michael Chick accused of doing

Court documents show that the parents of the child were suspicious of the bus driver and first reported him to the Greenland school district and town police in April. Chick reportedly gave the child and his sister gifts on the bus on numerous occasions, which included candy, Pokémon paraphernalia, and other small toys, according to a police affidavit.

“Additionally, when the children were absent from school, (Chick) would leave letters for them at the residence saying how much he misses them,” the affidavit reads.

In May, Chick allegedly asked the child’s family if he could attend the child’s Little League baseball game. The child’s family, according to the affidavit, contacted the Greenland Central School asking for assistance, and school administration contacted First Student to have Chick reassigned to a different bus route.

Police, including the school resource officer, spoke with Chick in May and told him that he could no longer contact the child, nor his family.

Documents with the court added that Chick was reassigned bus routes but continued communicating with the child even afterward, a point of concern for Greenland parents at a town School Board meeting held this week.

Looking for answers: Greenland school parents demand answers following bus driver's arrest on stalking charges

After reporting Chick to police twice in the spring, the child’s family again reported him in July when they discovered two TracFones inside the child’s lunchbox. Investigators learned from the parents that the child told them the devices were given to him by Chick as gifts.

Chick allegedly gave the child multiple TracFones and instructed him to take inappropriate photographs of himself. The former bus driver is also accused of placing GPS tracking devices on the child’s parents’ vehicles to track whether they reported him to police and making several visits to the family's home at night.

The child’s parents “were very concerned for their son’s safety as well as their own, verbalizing that they were afraid that Chick would come to their home and kidnap” the child, per court documents.

The child reported to investigators that Chick told him a story about “The Team,” a group of criminals that would kidnap and torture the child if he didn’t comply with the instructions to photograph and take videos of himself. The child additionally told authorities that he was told that “The Team” would murder members of his family if he didn’t comply.

What we know about the charges: New Hampshire school bus driver charged with threatening, stalking 8-year-old and family

“The Team,” the child later told his parents, was a group of anywhere between eight and 800 people, the affidavit states.

Chick later admitted to investigators that he threatened the child on the bus and gave him three separate TracFones. Authorities searched his car and found his cell phone, a TracFone, a digital camera, duct tape, rubber gloves, candy, children’s undergarments and toys, and a magnetic GPS vehicle tracker.

Authorities claimed that surveillance cameras, TracFones, large plastic bags of children’s underwear and more evidence was found at Chick’s residence.

Here's how to report possible incidents involving Michael Chick

Jane Young, U.S. attorney for New Hampshire, announced last week that a hotline has been created for parents to report possible additional incidents involving Chick.

The hotline can be reached at (603) 722-1751.

Weiland told the court that the hotline has received one call about Chick since its creation, though it does not pertain to the family involved in the current allegations against Chick.

More: What parents need to know about how predators groom kids

Chick’s case has been investigated by the Greenland and Eliot police departments, the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations.

Following the hearing, Chick’s mother declined to speak with reporters.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Greenland NH bus driver charged with stalking 8-year-old denied bail