Elderly Babysitter Who Molested 6-year-old Neighbor Had Been School Bus Driver: News Report

The man who befriended young parents in his neighborhood and then abused their 6-year-old while babysitting was a school bus driver, The Journal News reports.

Michael Edward Cunningham of Brewster faces three counts of Sexual Abuse in the First Degree, a class “D” felony and a single count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, a misdemeanor.

He has been held at the county jail since his arrest July 25.

The investigation began July 24, when the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office received notice of a complaint of sexual abuse from the from the New York State Child Abuse Registry. Members of the Sheriff’s Office and the County District Attorney’s Office joined a team from Putnam County’s Child Advocacy Center to investigate.

It is alleged that Cunningham had befriended the parents of the child over a period of time; they then entrusted him with babysitting the infant. While babysitting, Cunningham allegedly subjected the child to sexual contact on three occasions over the past year.

Steven Moskowitz, assistant superintendent of Human Resources and Technology for Brewster Central Schools, told lohud.com reporter Terence Corcoran that Cunningham had worked as a bus driver there from 2000-04.

He worked for several school districts, and Putnam officials ask any parent whose children may have interacted with him to call Assistant District Attorney Danielle Pascale at 845-808-1050.

Back in July, sheriff’s investigators obtained a search warrant for Cunningham’s home at 8 Garden St., where they seized property to include his computer, cameras, and other assorted digital electronic equipment. These items underwent forensic examinations by the Sheriff’s Identification and Forensics Unit.

That resulted in more charges—five felony counts of possession of a sexual performance by a child.

A grand jury indicted Cunningham in September, The Journal News said.