Rochester Bus Driver, 75, Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Charge

Rochester, NY – Former bus driver Tomas Rosario, 75, pleaded guilty to attempting to receive child pornography, a charge that carries a minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a $250,000 fine.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York, the investigation revealed that Rosario, a school bus driver in Monroe County, engaged in sexually explicit conversations with a 13-year-old student, including asking her about her sexual history and instructing her to take sexually explicit photos of herself and send them to him. The conversations were recorded on the bus surveillance system and captured by the store’s security cameras when Rosario encountered the victim in a convenience store.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi stated that Rosario’s actions were ‘despicable and reprehensible’ and that the victim was ‘lucky to have escaped without further harm.’ The investigation was led by the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Police Chief David Smith, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.

The plea is the culmination of a thorough investigation that revealed Rosario’s disturbing behavior towards a minor. The fact that he used his position as a school bus driver to exploit and manipulate this child is particularly egregious.

Rosario’s sentence is scheduled for September 12, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci. The sentence will be a testament to the severity of Rosario’s crimes and the importance of holding individuals accountable for their actions.

The guilty plea serves as a reminder that child predators will be held accountable for their crimes. We hope that this sentence will bring closure to the victim and her family, and serve as a warning to others who would seek to harm our children.

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