MESA, AZ — A female school bus aide is accused of sexual abuse after police say she kissed a young, autistic student and let him touch her breast.
Samantha Rose Poirier, 19, faces one count of sexual abuse and one count contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Poirier was employed by the Mesa public school system as an aide on the bus to assist children with disabilities.
The incident happened March 19.
The victim, a 12-year-old autistic boy, told police that Poirier “kissed him by grabbing his face and putting her lips on his,” according to the police report.
The victim further disclosed that the aide “made him touch her breast under the clothes.” The victim stated the aide “threatened him they would get into trouble if he told anyone about the kiss and the touch,” according to the police report.
The victim also told police that Poirier talked to him about body parts and “explained to the victim how babies are made.”
Police say the victim also said that Poirier also talked to him about rape, bullying and school shootings.
According to the police report, the victim said that “these conversations made him uncomfortable.”
When interviewed by police, Poirier claimed the young victim asked her to sit with him, and then asked her sexual questions.
According to the police report. Poirier also claimed that “the victim asked to see her girl parts and specifically asked to see her boobs. The defendant then said the victim asked her to kiss him and she told him no.”
The defendant stated that “she told the victim that she could get into a lot of trouble and lose her job. The defendant said the victim pulled on her arm and begged her to kiss him and she said she told him no again and got up from the seat and moved to the front of the bus.”
Poirier told police she notified the bus driver of the incident after the victim got off the bus. She said the bus driver “told her to report it to a supervisor.”
Poirier later admitted to police that “she did give him, the victim, a peck.”
She said she “did not want to lose her job, but did what she did because the victim kept pulling and yanking on her and begging her to kiss him. The defendant said she kissed him on his lips and walked away and went to a seat near the front of the bus,” according to the police report.
Police say when they talked to Poirier about surveillance cameras on the bus, she “admitted to having sexual conversations with the victim.”
Poirier then told police “she did let the victim pull on her shirt, so he could look at her breasts. She was wearing an undershirt and bra so he did not see her naked breast. The defendant said she was pretty sure that was the truth.”
Police say Poirier admitted that she should not have done any of the acts and should not have talked to him about things that she did. The defendant said, “when the two of them were talking about these kinds of things she felt she was in high school and talking with friends, even though the victim is reported to have the mentality of a 7-year-old and she is an adult.”
The surveillance video on the bus “shows the defendant leaning into the 12-year-old victim, grabbing both sides of his face and kissing him on the mouth. After the kiss, the two continue to talk and discuss things until when she turns in her seat to face the victim… The defendant appears to be smiling and nods her head and looks down towards her right breast. It appears she gave him permission to touch her breast. The victim reaches over and pulls the defendant’s shirt down and the victim reaches into her shirt. The defendant then adjusts her shirt and sits facing front again,” according to the police report.
Poirier is due back in court April 11.
