July 2010 School bus driver sent sex remarks to St Helens girl A SCHOOL bus driver texted sexual remarks to a 15-year-old St Helens girl and was later caught grooming children over Facebook. Police began an investigation into Will Hand, a 30-year-old bus driver from Skelmersdale, after his mobile phone was found to contain indecent images. The phone had been left in staff toilets at his local bus depot and the information was passed on to police. Around the same time, the 15-year-old girl from St Helens told her parents that her school bus driver was texting inappropriate sexual remarks after leaving his number on a scrap of paper on the bus. Further enquiries revealed that Hand was grooming children over Facebook by posing as a young man from Grimbsy and requesting to meet them without their parents’ knowledge. Hand, from Lambourne, Skelmersdale, received a three-year court order and three year supervision order after being convicted of possessing indecent images and sending indecent communications. He was also ordered to attend an internet sex offenders treatment programme and placed on the sex offenders register for five years. A court order states he must have no contact with any child under the age of 16 unless supervised. The case was highlighted by Lancashire Police, which says more than 200 children have been saved from sexual exploitation over the past year after a special unit was set up to tackle the crime. Sergeant Vicky Leighton said: “Sexual exploitation of children and young people involves exploitive situations, contexts and relationships where young people receive something, be it drugs, accommodation, affection or money in return for sexual activities. “The issue is real for all children and parents. Children are targeted through a range of technology including the internet, in particular social networking sites, webcams and mobile phones. “Often children suffer from low self esteem and initially enjoy the attention lavished upon them. “They do not see themselves as victims and will often believe that they are in control because they are receiving something in return.”