A Newton school bus driver accused of driving semi-nonverbal children to “secluded” areas faced a judge on Friday after he was indicted on kidnapping charges earlier this month.
Justin Vose, 42 of Bedford, was arraigned in Middlesex Superior Court in Woburn, where he pleaded not guilty to three counts of kidnapping. A judge set his bail at $1,000.
The charges stem from allegations of inappropriate conduct while Vose worked as a bus driver for the Newton Early Education Childhood Program and Transportation for Newton Public Schools, which was contracted through JSC Transportation, according to Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan.
Newton police launched an investigation into Vose on May 28, 2024, when one student showed up late to the Newton Early Education Childhood Program.
When the bus company checked the driver’s GPS location, it allegedly revealed that Vose entered the parking lot but instead of dropping the child off, he “drove to a secluded portion of the parking lot near the tree line,” according to prosecutors.