Former bus driver jailed over sexual abuse of granddaughter

A former Central Queensland bus driver has been jailed for nine years after sexually abusing a girl on a school bus more than 15 times over a four-year period, a court has heard.

A bus driver predator was jailed for nine years at Beenleigh District Court.

A former Central Queensland bus driver has been jailed for nine years after sexually abusing his granddaughter on a school bus more than 15 times over a four-year period, a court has heard.

The court heard he gave his nine-year-old granddaughter lollies, hugged and tickled her while he drove the school bus on which she was a passenger.

Judge Craig Chowdhury said this aspect of the offending was particularly concerning.

“There was a clear element of grooming behaviour,” he said.

The retired bus driver, in his 60s, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim, pleaded guilty in Beenleigh District Court on March 27 to 15 counts of indecent treatment and two counts of rape.

The court heard he would ask her to sit on the driver's seat and would touch her inappropriately from that position.

The sexual abuse happened over a four-year period, ending on January 29, 2021.

The victim’s mother gave the court a victim impact statement in which she said the abuse led to a breakdown of relationships in the family and had a profound negative impact.

The offending was witnessed by the victim’s stepfather, which sparked the man’s arrest on February 26, 2021.

Mr Chowdhury said the man’s behaviour was a violation of trust.

“You were in a position of trust,’’ he said.

“Nothing can minimise the gravity of abuse you inflicted on your granddaughter, you abused her for your own gratification”

The driver was sentenced to nine-and-a-half years’ jail and will be eligible for parole halfway through the sentence.

He had already served two years and one month of pre-sentence custody.