Bay Shore school bus driver accused of sexually abusing young girl suspended without pay
BAY SHORE, Long Island (WABC) -- A school bus driver on Long Island has been suspended without pay after being accused of sexually abusing a young girl.
Miguel Enrique Diaz, a Suffolk Transportation bus driver for Bay Shore Middle School and Brook Elementary School, allegedly sexually abused the girl, who is now 13 years old, multiple times between May 2022 and October 2023.
A community therapist reported the abuse to detectives in the Special Victims Section earlier this month.
Following an investigation, Diaz, 47, of Bay Shore, was arrested at his home on Wednesday night.
Diaz was charged with one count of first-degree course of sexual conduct against a child, and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
None of the parents Eyewitness News reporter Janice Yu spoke to on Thursday said they heard about the arrest, but were horrified to learn the details.
The superintendent of Bay Shore School District sent a letter to the community and said all incidents of the alleged abuse did not happen on district property, within district buildings or on buses transporting students for the district.
"The District has taken immediate action to ensure that the employee of Suffolk Transportation will no longer participate in providing any driving duties for the District," said Superintendent Steven Maloney. "The Bay Shore School District stands committed to protecting the health, safety, and welfare of our students and will continue to fully cooperate with law enforcement regarding this matter."
Tom McAteer, the Executive Vice President of Suffolk Transportation Services, released a statement, saying Diaz has been suspended without pay.
"Bus driver has been suspended without pay. We have been assured by the police department that these crimes had nothing to do with his employment as a school bus driver or at school district," McAteer said.
Diaz started working for the company in November 2022 and started his bus route in Bay Shore in September of 2023.
Detectives are asking anyone with information on this case, or who believes their child may be a victim of Diaz, to contact the Special Victims Section at 631-852-6531.
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