Parents were warned by mass email Thursday evening that Curtis James Webber, age 54, of North Bay, and a bus driver who serviced Alliance French Immersion Public School had been charged with child pornography offences. No details were released by the board about what route the driver was responsible for.
When the bus responsible for that Route 108 ran 15-20 minutes late Thursday, many parents drove their children to school or made other arrangements. Friday, after the bus was late again, calls began to come into Stock Transportation offices. Some parents called the Near North District School Board (NNDSB) wondering what the problem was. Others pieced the clues together from the news of the arrest and the absence of Webber, the regular school bus driver.
One parent of a five-year-old who took Webber's bus observed that the vague email from NNDSB, "left parents wondering if it was the bus driver that dropped their kids off. Plus I called Stock yesterday morning because the bus was late. They told me Curtis was sick. I wished him a fast recovery because I had no idea."
On Thursday afternoon, North Bay Police Services issued a release detailing the arrest of a local man on child pornography charges but did not include the information about the accused working as a school bus driver.
Thursday evening, all parents of students received the following email that revealed Webber's profession, with the police release copied and pasted beneath the paragraph:
Dear Parents/Guardians,
We have been made aware that a former bus driver who serviced Alliance has been charged and we feel this is important information to share with you. North Bay Police Services has released the following:
City of North Bay Police Services Media Release Issued June 15, 2017:
Yesterday, following a child pornography investigation and the execution of a search warrant at a North Bay residence, the North Bay Police Service arrested a male resident on site.
Curtis James Webber, age 54, of North Bay, was charged with:
Two counts of possession of child pornography; and
One count of distribution of child pornography.
It is alleged that in March 2017, the accused uploaded child pornography through an online instant messaging service.
The North Bay Police Service seized from the residence computers, tablets and cellular telephones, which will be further examined for evidence with the assistance of the
Greater Sudbury Police Service Cybercrime Unit.
The accused was held in custody pending a show cause bail hearing today.
This investigation is ongoing.
Said another parent of a child from the bus route, "My problem is, the school board sends a generic email while parents are left wondering if it has to do with their kids. I'd like to know if he continued to work while the investigation was ongoing."
NNDSB Chair David Thompson, said in an interview Friday, "We apologize to parents if you feel we let you down. Our hands were tied. He is not our employee. We had to wait until the police investigation was conducted to communicate to parents."
Webber, who was an employee of Stock Transportation, has been relieved of his duties, said Stock general manager Lena Cormier Friday. "I rode the bus this morning to alleviate any concerns that parents might have. Parents have been contacting me all morning. I was at Alliance [Friday morning] and the principal and vice principal boarded the bus and did speak to the children directly because some of the children have been told more than others. What the parents decide to share with their children is their business.
"I just wanted the school administration staff to provide a unified message to the children. There have been a couple of bits of information that have gone out, and I was trying to circle back with the parents that have children riding on that bus because I can appreciate the concerns. I think parents deserve that personal contact."
