WEST JORDAN — A school bus driver arrested last week was charged Tuesday with possessing and distributing child sex abuse material.
Casey Dan Golding, 24, is charged in 3rd District Court with three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony.
Golding was a school bus driver for the Granite School District at the time of his arrest. A district spokesman says Golding was fired as soon as administrators learned of the allegations against him.
The investigation began on Feb. 20 when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a tip that Golding had uploaded child sexual abuse material into his account, according to charging documents.
An investigator with the Utah Internet Crimes Against Children task force learned that Golding also had "a school bus endorsement," and when he went to his home in West Jordan, saw "a school bus parked in front of the residence," the charges state.
The detective confiscated Golding's phone at that time, but did not arrest him. After finding child sex abuse material on the phone, the investigator "coordinated with the school district to find (Golding) before he picked up children from school that afternoon," and he was then taken into custody in West Valley City, charging documents say.
"These allegations are very disturbing. At this time, there is no evidence to suggest that any of our students are victims of abuse. Student safety remains our highest priority and we will continue to work with law enforcement on this investigation as appropriate," the district said. Golding was hired in October and "passed all relevant pre-employment screenings at that time, including a reference and criminal background check."
Prosecutors have requested that Golding be held without the possibility of posting bail pending trial.
