Colorado parents of child abuse victims seek to hold school system accountable amid bus aide's guilty plea

Videos showing the physical abuse of nonverbal children on a Littleton Public Schools bus are disturbing and difficult to watch. It's painful footage that ultimately became a catalyst for justice for the families behind it.

"We still, each one of us, have kids that get scared every time they see a school bus driving by," said Kevin Yarborough, whose son, Hunter, was one of the victims.

It has been nearly two years since those images were first shared. And, just moments before the trial was set to begin for suspect Kiarra Jones, a plea deal was announced.

"Her saying she's guilty doesn't impact me," said Jessica Vestal, whose son Dax was also one of the victims. " When she's arrested and taken out of the courtroom in handcuffs, that will feel much better than today did."

Jones now faces upwards of 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to 10 felony counts, including third-degree assault and child abuse involving an at‑risk individual.

Deputy District Attorney Christopher Gallo represented the families in the criminal case.

"Certainly, we are very happy that this case came to a conclusion," Gallo said. "Anytime somebody who is in a position of trust with regard to our children takes accountability and we find justice in that situation, we are always gratified that's the resolution."

For the families, it is a small step toward accountability, but they say their fight is far from over.

"This is not just her. This process is not done," a parent said. "There were a lot of failures - systemic failures -- and we want more people to be held accountable for what happened here today."

The families involved have already announced their plan to pursue legal action against Littleton Public Schools and The Joshua School, where their children were students at the time of the abuse.

The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating to determine if the district and school violated federal law.