May 2008
Indecent photos lead to prison
A SCHOOL bus driver who sexually assaulted two 15 year olds after telling them he could help them get into the world of modelling has been jailed.
Nigel Wheeler, of Kimmeridge Close, Nythe, plied the youngsters with wine before taking photos of them.
The 52-year-old also groped the girls and told them he could help them in a modelling career by showing the shots to a friend.
Claire Marlow, prosecuting, told a judge at Swindon Crown Court that Wheeler worked for Barnes Coaches, in Aldbourne.
Part of his work was to do the school run from the villages around Marlborough taking children to and from classes.
He used the position to chat to one of the girls and started talking about modelling, telling her he had a friend in the business.
In May last year he met up with the girl and another boy and girl, all aged 15, and arranged a photo shoot at his home for the following day.
When they went to his flat he provided wine for the girls and beer for the boy and the first girl went to have her photos done in another room.
Wheeler gave her a baby doll-type outfit to wear, saying it would improve her chances of becoming a model.
He then took photographs on his mobile phone.
The first girl was then present as he took indecent photographs of the second girl.
He also took a video clip of the girl and asked the two of them to touch each other, which they refused to do.
When Wheeler was questioned he admitted meeting the children and taking the photographs but denied having a sexual interest in children.
Wheeler admitted four counts of sexual activity with a child and four of taking an indecent photograph of a child.
Rob Ross, defending, said that his client had no history of similar offending and had worked in the USA coaching children in the past without any problem.
Jailing Wheeler for eight months Judge Douglas Field said: “You were employed as the driver of a school bus and you owed a responsibility to these children that were being taken to their school.
“You took advantage of that position to be in a position to manipulate these two young girls and to make the arrangement for them to visit you so that you could take these obscene photographs of them.
“Having got them there you plied them with alcohol, which is another aggravating feature.”
He also banned Wheeler from working with children, told him he must register as a sex offender for 10 years and imposed a 10-year sexual offences prevention order restricting his liberty.
