Port Pirie bus driver Heath Jonathon Drage jailed for grooming schoolgirl

A creepy school bus driver who sent a 14-year-old on his route sexualised messages and topless photos has been jailed – with his bizarre excuses falling flat.

A creepy school bus driver groomed a 14-year-old child on his route before discussing meeting up with her, a court heard.

Heath Jonathon Drage, 41, was jailed for three years after still continuing to deny his perverted messages were sexual in nature.

During sentencing, the District Court heard Drage communicated via Snapchat with the schoolgirl who was a passenger on the school bus he employed to drive.

The court heard Drage sent the victim a message in September 2021 where he referred to eating biscuits and ice-cream off her.

“You said that you wanted her to fall asleep in your arms,” Auxiliary Judge Gordon Barrett said.

Heath Jonathan Drage was found guilty after a trial of three counts of communicating to make a child amenable to sexual activity. Photo: Instagram

Heath Drage was jailed for preying on a schoolgirl. Photo: Instagram

“You said that you knew how much you both wanted ‘it’, which plainly meant sex.”

In another message Drage said “I’m naked now”, as well as describing sex acts he wanted to perform on the victim.

Auxiliary Judge Barrett said another worrying aspect was a message in which Drage discussed the girl coming to his house.

Drage, of Risdon Park, was found guilty by a jury in April of three counts of communicating to make a child amenable to sexual activity.

During the trial, Sally Burgess, for Drage, argued that while he had sent the child a topless photo of himself lying on his bed, it wasn’t sexually explicit in nature.

Drage also claimed messages about touching the child’s hand were in relation to giving her a high-five, the court heard.

Ms Burgess said Drage developed concerns about the child’s mental health after hearing her talk about self harm on the bus and was acting as a “counsellor”.

“You still perceive that you were trying to assist the girl,” Auxiliary Judge Barrett said.

“Your counsel says that you only had the girl’s interests at heart.”

The court heard a psychologist believed Drage, who was a bus driver for 11 years, suffered from autism but did not comment about it having any connection to his offending.

Auxiliary Judge Barrett said while Drage had reflected on his offending in recent weeks and was now remorseful it came too late in the piece to be of great significance.

He said Drage either seriously lacked insight into his behaviour or was consciously in denial, which made predictions about his rehabilitation uncertain.

Drage was sentenced to three years jail, with a non-parole period of one year and four months.

The sentence was backdated to April 17.