Jay school bus driver accused of raping student

A Jay school bus driver is behind bars. Heâ€™s accused of sexually assaulting a 16 year old high school student. Prosecutors charged William Stroud with first degree rape. <br/><br/>The girl told police

Wednesday, June 16th 2004, 10:20 am

By: News On 6

A Jay school bus driver is behind bars. Heâ€™s accused of sexually assaulting a 16 year old high school student. Prosecutors charged William Stroud with first degree rape.

The girl told police Stroud attacked her on a school bus along a dirt road. News on 6 reporter Patrina Adger says the 16 year old girl told investigators this has been happening for the past three years.

She says it started with Stroud touching and groping her and it escalated to rape on March 11, the day before Spring break.

William Stroud is a bus driver and a janitor for Jay Public Schools. An affidavit says the girl said she was the last student on the bus, when Stroud stopped. She says she went to the middle of the bus, where Stroud followed her and took off her clothes and his and raped her.

Stroud is also charged with three counts of lewd molestation involving two other Jay High School students. Those victims say he touched and groped them.

Delaware County Sheriff Rick White: "We made contact with the suspect, he was arrested without incident. He turned himself in willingly. We've tried to interview him in the past and denies all accusations toward him."

Stroud is in the Delaware County jail on $200,000 bond. School administrators plan to suspend him with pay after he's released on bail.