School bus aide charged with groping Woodbury 6-year-old on bus

A school bus aide has been charged with felony second-degree criminal sexual conduct for allegedly groping a 6-year-old Woodbury boy on a bus ride home.

Raymond Matthew Cook, 51, of St. Paul, was charged in Washington County District Court by summons last week in connection with the Oct. 22 incident. He has not been booked into jail on the charge and has an initial court appearance set for Feb. 12. An attorney is not listed in his court case file, and a working number to seek comment for him could not be found.

According to the criminal complaint:

Woodbury police around 4:20 p.m. Oct. 22 responded to a report of criminal sexual conduct that was alleged to have occurred on a school bus that was transporting a child to his Woodbury home.

The boy’s mother said her son told her a bus aide sat near him and then reached over and touched his penis over his clothing for several seconds.

She said that for several weeks the boy had been expressing dislike for riding the bus home because of the bus aide, who officers later identified as Cook.

The boy was interviewed by officers and said Cook sat near him and touched his private parts.

Officers interviewed the bus driver, who said he saw Cook sitting near the boy and engaging in a whispered conversation. The driver said he was “weirded out” by Cook’s behavior and “uncomfortable” with how close he was sitting to the boy.

Officers reviewed the bus surveillance video footage and saw Cook sitting next to the boy, repeatedly leaning into his seat and reaching toward him. The boy at one point made a screeching sound, turned his body away from Cook and said “it’s your fault,” the complaint states.

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Cook is employed by Big River Bus Company, said Shawn Hogendorf, spokesman with South Washington County Schools, which contracts with the Hastings-based company to provide transportation services for some students. Cook has not been on a bus that serves South Washington County Schools since the date of the alleged offense, Hogendorf said.

A worker at Big River Bus Company on Wednesday referred comment on the allegations and Hogendorf’s employment status to Big River’s parent company, Minnesota Coaches. A message left with the company seeking comment has not been returned Wednesday.

Cook does not have a criminal history in Minnesota, other than traffic violations.

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