Former Rockwall Bus Driver Admitted to Recording Kids for ‘Many Years’

A former Rockwall school bus driver accused of recording students admitted to doing so for years, an arrest-warrant affidavit says.

According to The Dallas Morning News, Michael Paul Smith, 43, was arrested last week and charged with invasive visual recording after a camera system on his bus showed that he was recording inappropriate video of students as they entered and exited the vehicle.

Officials from Rockwall ISD began investigating Smith after they received an anonymous tip from a parent who said Smith had told their daughter “how nice” she looked, according to the affidavit. Smith's comment made the parent uncomfortable, which prompted district officials to review the bus surveillance footage, The Dallas Morning News reports.

According to The Dallas Morning News, the footage showed at least 11 occasions of troubling conduct, including Smith allegedly using his phone to record under the skirt of a middle school student as she got onto the bus. According to the affidavit, other footage reportedly showed Smith watching female students from behind as they passed him.

In a statement, Rockwall ISD said that Smith was employed by the district for five months, from Aug. 19, 2019 to Jan. 8, 2020.

Prior to working in Rockwall, Wylie ISD said Smith worked for it as a bus driver from August 2017 through May 2019.

"We are saddened to learn of his statement and encourage any parents who have a concern about his behavior involving their child to contact the Wylie Police Department," Wylie ISD said in a statement.