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School bus parked in front of Newton South High School. Photo by Bryan McGonigle

A Newton school bus driver has been charged with kidnapping three special needs students who attend the city’s Early Childhood Program for a troubling incident several months ago, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan’s office announced on Wednesday.

All three kids are between ages 3 and 5 and reportedly have disabilities involving communication.

On May 28, someone at the Newton Public Schools’ Early Childhood Program called Newton police to report their contracted driver—Justin Vose, 42, of Bedford—for suspicious behavior they had heard about from a child whom Vose had dropped off late.

“When the bus company checked the driver’s GPS location it allegedly revealed that the defendant entered the parking lot but instead of dropping the child off the defendant drove to a secluded portion of the parking lot near the tree line,” a statement from Ryan’s office reads. “An investigation revealed that, on multiple occasions, the defendant had transported three victims, between ages 3 and 5 years old, to secluded areas and turned off the audio and video recording in his bus for up to 20 minutes at a time.”

The statement did not mention what, if anything, Vose is suspected of doing with the children during those moments. While searching Vose’s phone, police say they found photos he had taken with the victims.

“At no time did the school district, parent of the students, daycare or bus company official authorize the defendant’s change in route or one-on-one time with the victims,” the statement continues. “All the children are semi-nonverbal or struggle with communication.”

Vose is charged with three counts of kidnapping and is set to be arraigned at Middlesex Superior Court in Woburn on Oct. 25.

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