School bus route moved near sexual predator

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - A change in bus routes in Franklin Township moved the bus stop for one man's son.

It means the 13 year old and other school children now wait for the bus four doors down from a convicted child molester. For the past seven years, Michael Gifford's 13 year old son waited for the Franklin Township school bus a few hundred feet away from home.

Gilford says, in the old days the bus would go down the street to a cul-de-sac. "The students would all wait at the end of their cul-de-sacs where it was safe," he says.

This year however, Franklin Township told Gifford and other neighborhood parents, that the bus couldn't use the cul-de-sac safely.

"They turn around here, it's huge," he says showing 24 Hour News 8 where the bus used to turn. Gifford says "in case somebody's parked on the street, they'd have to back up, there's a blind spot on the bus. And it's not safe to back up."

So now, all those children wait for the bus a half mile from home. But the distance is only one concern. The other is that four doors down from the bus stop is a convicted child molester. It took us less than 45 seconds to walk to the house from the bus stop.

"Two time, convicted child molester. Two time, and that's the bus stop. That's the bus stop," says Gifford.

24 Hour News 8 checked the Marion County sex offender registry and sure enough a violent sexual predator is listed as living four doors down from the bus stop.

"Even though as I understand it, there's not an actual law that says you can't put a stop there, that's not what we want to do," says Ron Blackgrave, the man who runs the Franklin Township Transportation program. He says the changes were made to save money and for safety.

24 Hour News 8 asked Blackgrave what's the bigger danger, backing up the bus or standing near a convicted child molester?

"That's what we're weighing. And at this time from my perspective I'm looking at the bigger danger being the predator," says Blackgrave.

After 24 hour news 8's involvement, Blackgrave drove the route. He agreed the cul-de-sac is likely big enough for the bus. He's working now to fix the problem.

Concerned parent Michael Gifford had been in contact with the school administration since a week after school began.

Ron Blackgrave of Franklin Township says the school gets their information about possible predators from a third party. And it didn't show the child molester at the home near the bus stop. He was tipped off by the parent.

Check the Indiana Sex Offender registry , If you find a problem, let the school know and don't be afraid to ask for a change.

By the way, Michael Gifford said as part of his job he worked 20,000 hours in a locked sexual offenders unit.