A former First Student bus driver has been charged with enticing a 14-year-old girl for indecent purposes in Port Wentworth.
Robert Smith was also charged by Port Wentworth police with interference with child custody and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Port Wentworth police said an officer on patrol noticed shortly after midnight Dec. 16 a suspicious vehicle operating without headlights in a subdivision. The officer observed the vehicle drive to an area that contained unoccupied homes and homes under construction. The officer then conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle to investigate further.
Police said Smith and a 14-year-old girl were inside the vehicle. When questioned about the situation, police said Smith stated that the two were just talking and that he had only kissed the girl.
Police said the girl's mother was unaware of her whereabouts and did not give the girl permission to be with Smith.
The girl was released to a family member at the direction of her mother, police said.
Smith is currently being held in the Chatham County jail without bond. Police said the incident is still under investigation.
An official with First Student told the Savannah Morning News that Smith was no longer employed with the school bus transportation operator as of Monday.
- Marcus E. Howard