MERRILL, WI (WSAU) — A Lincoln County judge has sentenced a Tomahawk man for stalking and abducting a 15-year-old girl who was a passenger on his school bus route.
James T Schmit, who spent over 25 years as a bus driver, will serve three years in prison and five years of extended supervision for one charge of child enticement. As part of a plea deal, other counts of stalking and child abduction were dismissed but read in.
The charges were brought forward after a 2017 incident in which the then 15-year-old said Schmit altered his bus route so she would be dropped off last. When all other students had been dropped off, Schmit kept driving past the girl’s house and instead took her to his own home.
A video recording from inside the bus showed Schmit making sexual comments towards her. When he finally took her home, he also kissed her and told her he loved her.
In addition to prison time, Schmit will also complete a sex offender treatment program and is to have no contact with any female under the age of 18.
According to Police Schmit admitted to investigators that he had sexual feelings towards girls on his route numerous times over his career.
