School Bus Driver Sexually Abused Kid, Had Child Porn: SCPD

HUNTINGTON STATION, NY — A Huntington Station man and school bus driver in the Northport-East Northport School District was arrested Tuesday morning for sexually abusing a child and possessing child pornography, Suffolk Police said.

An investigation into Charles Titone III, 46, was launched by the Suffolk County Police Computer Crimes Unit, Special Victims Section and officers from the Second Precinct Crime Section after receiving a tip from the New York State Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, police said.

Investigators, after obtaining a warrant, searched Titone's home, located at 250 Depot Road, around 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, police said. Titone had sexual contact with a 6-year-old and possessed child pornography on his phone, police said. Titone is a school bus driver for Huntington Coach Corp. The victim was someone Titone knew previously and not a student from his bus route, police said.

Titone drove a small school bus for the Northport-East Northport district and was accompanied by a driver assistant, Northport-East Northport Superintendent Robert Banzer said in a letter to parents.

"We are extremely appalled and troubled by these allegations," he said.

Titone is charged with first-degree sexual abuse (a D felony) and possessing a sexual performance by a child (an E felony). He is being held overnight at the Second Precinct and is scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday at First District Court in Central Islip.

Detectives are still investigating and ask anyone with information to contact the Computer Crimes Unit at 631-852-6279 or anonymously call Crime Stoppers at 800-220-TIPS.