How a Sex Offender Was Allowed to Be a School Bus Driver

1. How a Sex Offender Was Allowed to Be a School Bus Driver For parents, one of the biggest concerns regarding sex offender registry is that a predator may be living near their home or their children’s school bus stop But, there are greater things to fear now that a self-admitted sex offender was legally allowed to drive a school bus. Glenn David Johnson, 52, was arrested and charged in March with molesting two teenage girls at his home in Blaine, Minn. Unfortunately, this wasn’t his first time. He once admitted to police years earlier that he had molested another child, reports KARE 11. So how was he allowed to drive school children after pleading guilty?

2. Three words: Stay of Adjudication. In Minnesota, a felony sentence with “Stay of Adjudication” means that a conviction for a felony is not entered on your criminal record, provided you successfully complete probation. Once you do so, the charges are dismissed, and your criminal record is clear of any convictions. In 1998, Johnson entered a guilty plea after he was charged with molesting a 14- year-old girl. The sexual predator was recorded confessing his sadistic acts but instead of paying for his crimes, a judge decided to put him on probation which he successfully completed in 2000. He was then cleared of all his charges and since there was nothing on his criminal record, he was granted a license to drive school children.It’s baffling how a prosecutor could ever agree to this type of plea deal. Lawmakers are now considering a bill that would ban Stays of Adjudication. “You’re trusting the school, the bus company, whoever is hiring them,” said Lois Perkins-Huff. But before this law changes keep this in mind… He’s not the only sexual predator getting away with having his record cleared. This “loophole” is allowing hundreds of pedophiles to “slip under the radar”. Finch, aka The Handy Dandy Man, sexually abused an 11-year-old girl who lived in a house her family rented from him. He was sentenced to four years in prison. The young girl’s mother feels that this could have been prevented and she’s probably right. Minnesota’s legal system hid Finch’s previous child molestation convictions. Although authorities claim that the recent acts of sexual assault committed by Johnson did not happen while on the job, parents are rightfully voicing their concern. According to reports, neither the school district nor the bus company was aware of Johnson’s criminal history. This may be due to the fact that such cases involving

3. Stay of Adjudication are nonexistent on Minnesota’s public online court system database. See original content@ https://kidslivesafe.wordpress.com/2017/08/04/how-a- sex-offender-was-allowed-to-be-a-school-bus-driver-2/