WBIW.com News - local

Brought to you by WBIW News and Network Indiana

Bus Driver Charged With Child Molestation, Bond Set At $1M

Last updated on Wednesday, October 26, 2016

(BLOOMINGTON) - Monroe County Circuit Court Judge Kenneth Todd set a former Fairview Elementary School bus driver bond at $1 million surety, plus $10,000 cash Tuesday afternoon.

43-year-old Timothy Poteat was arrested last week on two counts of child molesting and two counts of child pornography.

During Poteat's initial hearing, the prosecutor's office asked for a higher-than-normal bond because of the circumstances of the case.

Poteat will have to come up with $110,000 to get out of jail. He told the judge that if he is able to post bail, he will stay with his father in Greene County.

Poteat told the court he has no real estate and owns two vehicles a 1992 Ford truck and a 1999 Chevrolet truck. Poteat says he has a few hundred dollars in the bank and had $400 on him when he was arrested. He is expecting a paycheck for around $500 to $700 to be deposited into his account this week.

Judge Todd appointed Poteat a public defender and a bond reduction hearing is set for October 31. The judge ordered Poteat to have no contact with the child in this case.

Officials say nine sexual images of naked girls sent from Poteat's email account on September 29 prompted Yahoo officials to notify the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children about him being a possible child pornographer.

Bloomington police began their investigation on October 11 and linked the email to Poteat.

A week later, officers served a search warrant at Poteat's home at 844 East Miller Drive. Police confiscated a Macintosh computer which contained pictures of an elementary-aged girl being sexually assaulted with a toothbrush handle and also being forced to commit oral sex on Poteat.

1340 AM WBIW welcomes comments and suggestions by calling 812.277.1340 during normal business hours or by email at comments@wbiw.com

© Ad-Venture Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Click here to go back to previous page