Minnesota school bus driver submits guilty pleas on child sexual abuse material charges
A Minnesota school bus driver has pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing child sexual abuse material as part of a proposed deal with prosecutors.
According to a court filing, David Hadfield's guilty pleas would get eight remaining counts of the same charge dismissed, and he would get a stayed sentence on each of the convictions. A judge must approve the agreement at Hadfield's sentencing, which is scheduled for Aug. 3.
According to a criminal complaint, in April, Google flagged a child sexual abuse material case to the New Prague Police Department and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Detectives identified the suspect as Hadfield, a school bus driver employed by New Prague Area Schools Transportation.
Charges said Hadfield had hundreds of child sexual abuse material files stored on his Google Photos account and Android phone. The victims were between the ages of 4 and 11, the complaint states.
Hadfield acknowledged the materials but said "I never acted on anything," according to charges.
WCCO reached out to New Prague Area Schools when Hadfield was charged, but never received a response.
If you know of a child who may have been a victim of exploitation, call the National Center for Missing or Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678 or visit the website.
To report concerns about child abuse, neglect or sexual abuse, the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families recommends contacting the county or Tribal Nation where the child lives. You can find a list of Minnesota's county and tribal child protection agencies by clicking here. If there is an immediate concern of harm to the child, the agency recommends calling 911.
