A Bath man who drove a school bus for Bath Bus Service has been charged with taking illegal “upskirt” photos of elementary, middle and high school students and posting them on a foreign website.
Timothy McGowan, 50, was charged with violation of privacy, a Class D misdemeanor, according to a release from Bath Police Lt. Robert Savary.
McGowan allegedly took the illegal photos of students while driving them to and from school and special events.
Maine State Police were notified on May 23 by Homeland Security of a tip alleging a bus driver from Maine was posting “upskirt” photos of what were believed to be school-aged students on a foreign website, Savary said.
Using subpoenas and email traces, investigators identified a bus driver from the Bath area, and Bath police assisted in identifying McGowan.
Police and staff from West Bath School and Regional School Unit 1 identified photographs of six female elementary, middle and high school students.
McGowan was interviewed by investigators and searches of several of his electronic devices by the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Task Force allegedly turned up the same images as on the foreign website, Savary said.
The images have all been removed from the site. Police are not releasing the website where they were discovered.
Police served McGowan a criminal summons at his home on Wednesday.
The students’ parents were notified on Thursday.
McGowan is scheduled to appear in West Bath District Court on July 17.
McGowan was placed on leave by the Bath Bus Service and is not currently driving a school bus, Savary said.
The bus service had conducted all proper background checks on McGowan prior to his employment, and he had no previous criminal convictions, according to the release. The Bath Bus Service cooperated fully with the investigation, as did administrators from RSU 1 schools and West Bath School.
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