A disturbing story recently came out of Charlotte. A 48-year-old male bus driver, who went by “Ms. Sharon” or “Sharon,” was arrested and handed multiple charges for inappropriate behavior, namely sexual assault with teenagers.
Local law enforcement reported that the driver, whose real name is Leetwain Darrell Tate, worked for Sugar Creek Charter School. Tate would reportedly lure teenage boys to his house and even allow them to live with him. One young boy told authorities that Tate offered him money in exchange for sex, per WCNC. Police confirmed that none of the crimes occurred on the school premises or while the driver was on the clock.
Tate has been accused of assaulting at least four 14 and 15-year-old boys, but police believe that there could be more victims and are encouraging parents to speak with their children to see if they were harmed. “I appreciate the work of the Crimes Against Children unit for their serious investigation, as well as the courage of these juvenile victims who came forward in this case,” Lt. Corey Geohagen said on Tuesday.
“This is, by no means, easy for the victims to relive the terrible crimes committed against them, but their courage led to the arrest of a violent criminal. In many cases, crimes against children are never reported. Fear, shame, or threats of an abuser keep the victim silent, meaning there’s always a chance that more victims are suffering, suffering in silence.”
Tate was arrested this past Tuesday (Oct. 7) and charged with two counts of statutory rape, plus six counts of indecent liberties with a minor and one count of statutory sex offense, per The New York Post via Charlotte-Mecklenberg police and WCCB.
Tate was suspended during the investigation, which went on for weeks. He was officially fired on Sept. 30, according to WCCB. He is currently being held in Mecklenburg County Jail on $1 million bond. Tate’s family claimed that he is innocent, and some of his neighbors stated that they were “disturbed” by the allegations.