Sarasota school bus driver charged with sexual misconduct

A 42-year-old Bradenton man who worked as a security aide at a Sarasota high school and a school bus driver was charged Tuesday in connection with sexual misconduct with a 17-year-old, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office said.

Authorities in Manatee County were alerted by Sarasota County Schools’ in-house police department in August about the allegations. Police said Daniel Lamont Wilson, with a residence in the 600 block of Cortez Road, befriended a student at Booker High and offered her a place to stay.

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The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office said investigators learned multiple instances of sexual battery took place between Wilson and the teen at his Bradenton home.

Sarasota County Schools released a statement, saying Wilson is currently on administrative leave.

“Sarasota County Schools is aware of the arrest and is cooperating with local law enforcement in their ongoing investigation,’’ the statement read. “Mr. Wilson was initially hired by Sarasota County Schools in 2024 as a campus security aide; he most recently served as a school bus driver. Mr. Wilson has been placed on administrative leave.”

Wilson was charged with sexual battery by an offender in a position of authority. He was arrested Oct. 14 in North Port on a Manatee County warrant by that city’s police and is in Sarasota County Jail on no bond allowed.

The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office said there is no indication of other victims, though the investigation continues.