Former Maine school bus driver sentenced for cyberstalking 8-year-old

Former School Bus Driver Sentenced for Cyberstalking 8-Year-Old Boy in New Hampshire

A former school bus driver, Michael Chick, has been sentenced to nine years in prison for cyberstalking and threatening an 8-year-old boy in New Hampshire. Chick was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty to one count of cyberstalking for targeting the child who was a student on his school bus route. The parents of the child became suspicious of Chick in April 2022 and reported him to school and police officials. Chick's conduct is believed to have started as early as March 2022. He was accused of threatening the child on the bus and giving him inappropriate instructions, such as taking inappropriate photographs of himself and calling Chick on the phones when he was alone. Chick also stalked the child and his family, taking photographs of them in public, placing GPS tracking devices on their vehicles, making surreptitious recordings of the child on the school bus, and going to the family’s home in the middle of the night. Chick manipulated the child into believing that a "secret organization" was watching and following him. These actions caused unimaginable pain and fear for the survivor and his family, and it is only because of their bravery and diligence that the defendant’s crimes were uncovered [1].

Impact and Response

U.S. Attorney Jane Young stated, “While Michael Chick’s incarceration will not erase the trauma he inflicted, it will hopefully provide some measure of justice for the survivor and his family.” Chick's crimes caused significant distress, and the sentencing aims to provide some form of justice for the survivor and his family. The severity of the sentence reflects the gravity of the crimes committed and the impact they had on the victim and his family [1].

Background and Investigation

Chick was formerly employed by the bus company, First Student, and was the 8-year-old's school bus driver from about June 2020 until May 2022. After being reassigned bus routes, Chick continued to stay in contact with the child and invited him onto the bus. Investigators accused Chick of threatening the child on the bus, telling him "elaborate lies about a secret organization," and giving him inappropriate instructions. Chick's actions extended to stalking the child and his family, using the information he collected to harass and intimidate the child. This behavior led to the discovery of his crimes and subsequent legal action [1].

Conclusion

The sentencing of Michael Chick for cyberstalking and threatening an 8-year-old boy in New Hampshire reflects the severity of his actions and aims to provide justice for the survivor and his family. The case underscores the importance of vigilance and reporting suspicious behavior to protect potential victims from harm [1].