Adam Stevens: Bus driver who allegedly let 16yo operate bus applies to change bail amid child abuse material charges
A bus driver who allegedly got his hands on child abuse material through social media has sought permission to volunteer at a museum and change his curfew. Find out what happened in court.
St George Shire Standard
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A bus driver who allegedly possessed child abuse material has been granted permission to volunteer at a museum.
Adam Stevens, 25, appeared in Sutherland Local Court on Thursday to seek a bail variation to allow him to volunteer at Sydney Bus Museum in Leichhardt and to change his curfew condition.
Officers arrested Stevens at his Menai home on March 30, alleging that he allowed a teenager to drive a bus, despite the boy not being licensed to operate the large vehicle, on four occasions in March this year while members of the public were on board.
He has pleaded guilty to four counts of employing a never licensed person to drive a motor vehicle.
However, Stevens has pleaded not guilty to four charges of negligently or wilfully driving or causing a vehicle to be moved or driven subject to a person being at risk.
Following an investigation into the bus incidents, police also charged Stevens with two counts of possessing child abuse material, and he is yet to enter pleas to those allegations.
In documents tendered to the court, police allege Stevens obtained the child abuse material via Instagram on his Apple laptop on two occasions.
In court on Thursday, Stevens’ lawyer Emmanuel Apokis said his client would only volunteer at the bus museum when it was closed to the public, and he would be under the supervision of the general manager.
Mr Apokis said the general manager, who was present in court, was aware of all the charges Stevens faced and continued to support him.
The Crown prosecutor opposed the bail variation noting the community could be put at risk, and there was a 17-year-old person who also volunteered at the museum.
Mr Apokis said that the 17-year-old would not have to work the same day as Stevens, and his client knew he could not be in contact with anyone under 18 as per his bail conditions.
The court heard the museum was allegedly the location where Stevens met an underage boy and started communicating with him.
The Crown prosecutor said Stevens allegedly had a sexual interest in children and referred to text conversation Stevens allegedly had with a 14-year-old boy coupled with alleged child abuse images found on his phone.
She said the change in bail conditions should be opposed for those reasons.
However, Magistrate Hugh Donnelly varied the bail condition to allow Stevens to attend the museum when it was not open to the public as long as he was not alone and was supervised by the general manager.
He kept the curfew condition in place.
Stevens will face a hearing on March 9 for the alleged bus incidents.