The former New London school bus driver accused of of touching four boys after asking them to check for prostrate cancer entered pleas of no contest to four of the six charges filed against him last year.
Delton D. Gorges, 71, was convicted Friday, Jan. 7, of having sexual contact with a child, repeated sexual assault of the same child and two counts of misdemeanor sexual assault.
Judge Philip Kirk set sentencing for March 14. Gorges faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison on the two felony convictions and up to nine months in jail on the two misdemeanor convictions.
New London police began investigating the case in May 2010 when the mother of a 15-year-old boy reported that Gorges had admitted to sexually assaulting several family members.
Detective Sgt. Cheri Johnson, with the New London Police Department, spoke with the boy, who said he had known Gorges his entire life and that Gorges began touching him inappropriately in June 2008. The most recent incident allegedly occurred the day the mother contacted police.
The boy said Gorges started talking about prostate cancer, then said he needed to show him how to check himself. He said Gorges tried to put his hand down his pants, but he pushed him away.
New London Police Officers Ben Schmidt and Mike Harlow took Gorges into custody and questioned him about the incident.
Gorges immediately began telling the officers that he had prostate cancer and wanted to show the boy how to check himself, according to the criminal complaint. He reportedly admitted to touching the boy at least six to eight times.
“The defendant stated he knows he has a problem and needs help,” police reports said. “The defendant admitted if he does not get help he will continue touching young boys.”
Gorges, who drove a New London school bus for 33 years, was subsequently charged with attempted sexual assault of a student by school staff. That felony charge, along with another misdemeanor charge of sexual assault, were dismissed and read into the record.
According to the criminal complaint, one of the victims, who was 17 at the time of the alleged incident in November 2008, told police that Gorges touched him inappropriately while he was riding on the school bus. His mother told police.
Another former New London student, who was 17 at the time, said that in November 2009 Gorges began discussing prostate cancer after picking him up in the school van. Gorges allegedly slowed the van down to approximately 20 mph and touched him in appropriately.
The same teen said Gorges also made comments about his sex life while driving the school bus.