Bus driver accused of assaulting girl

A school bus driver from North Las Vegas was arrested Tuesday on multiple charges of sexual assault and lewdness with a minor after a 5-year-old girl said he had abused her in her home, police said.

Richard Dean Stephen, 63, was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on seven counts of lewdness with a minor under the age of 14 and three counts of sexual assault.

A report was filed last month with North Las Vegas police that Stephen, who works as a Clark County School District bus driver, abused the girl at her home this year. She is not a student with the district.

North Las Vegas police spokesman Tim Bedwell said an adult took the girl to the Police Department on May 16 and an investigation began. Stephen was arrested Tuesday night in his home.

Bedwell wouldn't say how Stephen made contact with the girl. "The key thing is he didn't meet her through his work," he said.

Stephen has no criminal history, Bedwell said.

He has been employed with the Clark County School District since August 2007. School information officers were unable to give out his bus route information or say which schools he served. Officials were unaware of any school campaign to inform parents about the situation.

All school employees are subject to criminal background checks.