Bus Driver Pleads Guilty to Molesting Six Boys

An Anaheim shuttle bus driver, who said he wanted to spare his victims the trauma of testifying at his trial, pleaded guilty in North Orange County Municipal Court Tuesday to 49 counts of sexually molesting six boys.

Steven Paris, 34, is scheduled to receive a 30-year sentence, Deputy Dist. Atty. Kathleen M. Kendle said.

Paris, who is a Neighborhood Watch participant with no prior criminal record, pleaded guilty to molesting his own 5-year-old son; two stepsons, ages 11 and 13, and three neighborhood boys, ages 9, 10 and 13. The molestations of his sons had been going on for seven years, Kendle said. The molestation of the neighborhood boys began about two years ago, she said.

Paris was arrested last August after the molestations had been reported to officials at a Mormon church where Paris and some of the victim’s families were members.

“One of the boys told a baby-sitter, who told her parents, who told their ward bishop,” Kendle said. “A neighbor woman whose children are not involved at all heard about their going to the church, and she told the mother of one of the victims, who reported it to police.”

The district attorney’s office investigated whether the ward bishop had been guilty of failing to report the accusations to police, but Kendle said her office decided the bishop was not legally bound to file a police report.

If Paris had gone to trial and been convicted, he would have faced a possible 104-year sentence. He originally was charged with 71 counts involving seven victims, but Kendle dropped one charge against a seventh alleged victim.

Paris is married, and the molestations apparently took place while his wife was at work, Kendle said.