SNYDER COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) — A school van driver in Pennsylvania is accused of taking two children to get ice cream after he allegedly exposed himself and touched them, State Police said in court documents.
State Police charged Arthur Harner, 78, of Selinsgrove, following an investigation into allegations of a school van driver exposing himself to children, showing them inappropriate movies, making “sex noises,’ and stopping at a creamery with the children, State Police said in charging documents.
Harner drove allegedly the students, ages eight and 10, from New Story School, which is part of Selinsgrove Area School District, the criminal complaint shows.
Harner would allegedly stop the van multiple times, telling the children to expose themselves and he would then take them to ice cream, State Police say they learned after interviewing the victims during the investigation. During one incident he allegedly exposed himself and threatened he would not take the child home if they didn’t touch him, State Police say.
Troopers say parents reported in January noticing a change in the children’s behavior after getting home late when they got ice cream with Harner. One mother reported their child was excited to go to school until the day they came home from ice cream at a creamery in Jackson Township.
Harner was allegedly seen getting out of the van with his pants unbuttoned, belt undone and zipper down by two creamery employees. The complaint states one employee made a comment about how Harner should not be taking children on any unscheduled stops.
Harner stated the ice cream was a “late Christmas gift,” State Police said.
The children were delayed getting home for about a half hour due to the unscheduled ice cream stop. State Police say they were told the van usually arrives between 2:15 to 2:20 p.m. after being dismissed at 2 p.m., and the charges note the creamery is about six minutes away from the school.
Harner was charged with felony counts that included school – intercourse/sexual contact with a student, indecent assault person less than 13 years of age, sexual extortion and corruption of minors. He also faces two misdemeanor counts of indecent exposure.
Harner had his arraignment on Feb. 5, and he is out of Snyder County Prison after he posted his bail which was set at $200,000 by Magisterial District Judge Scott A. Zeigler. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 24.
