ROGERS, Ark. — A Rogers bus driver Rafael Ballesteros, 59, was arrested by the Rogers Police Department (RPD) on March 7 for allegedly sexually assaulting a student.
According to an affidavit, on March 5 an RPD detective observed an interview with a child who said her bus driver, Ballesteros, had sexually assaulted her "several times" between 2021 and 2023 by making her touch his "private parts."
At this time, the child reportedly also said Ballesteros would occasionally take her to a gas station and "bribe" her with treats.
According to the affidavit, the minor said the abuse would occur while they were on the bus alone together. She told investigators she "did not know where the bus aides were when she was abused."
On March 6, one aide who worked with Ballesteros reportedly told police that on at least one occasion Ballesteros stopped at a gas station before taking female students inside "to go to the bathroom."
In a March 6 interview with police, Ballesteros said that due to short staffing, there were times he worked on the bus by himself without an aide.
He also allegedly confirmed that he had taken the child to the bathroom and bought her snacks on at least one occasion, but he denied ever touching her inappropriately, but admitted he "may have accidentally touched [her] while buckling her seatbelt."
On March 7, Ballesteros was arrested, and two days later he was released on a $100,000 bond. He will appear in the Benton County Circuit Court on April 15.
Jason Ivester with the Rogers Public School District said Ballesteros was placed on paid administrative leave. Ivester said he's been with the district for over six years.
According to court documents, Ballesteros had multiple domestic violence offenses out of California and Arkansas between 1989 and the mid-90s that had been dismissed. In 2008, he was found guilty of domestic assault.
The Children and Family Advocacy Center (CAC) says education and tough conversations are essential for prevention.
"As parents, you really want to be that voice for them. Talking about safe touches, the swimsuit rule, consent, and boundaries. A big thing too is having five safe people that [the] child can go and talk to if something does happen to them," Elisabeth Butihi, CAC's education specialist, said.
Watch 5NEWS on YouTube.
Download the 5NEWS app on your smartphone:
Stream 5NEWS 24/7 on the 5+ app: How to watch the 5+ app on your streaming device
To report a typo or grammatical error, please email KFSMDigitalTeam@tegna.com and detail which story you're referring to.