Earlier this week, two men were charged Wagoner County District Court in separate cases of sex crimes against children. Both men were arrested the same day and charged with similar crimes on the same day in the same court. They have something else in common as well--both men formerly worked as school bus drivers. One was still a school bus driver at the time of his arrest.
Robert Searl, 45, of Toppers, Oklahoma, was arrested on April 18 after a 12-year-old girl told her mother that Searl took baths and went skinny dipping with her and an 8-year-old girl, and that the three had been doing so for two years. She reported that she didn't realize there was anything wrong with it until someone else told her it was not normal. At that point, she told her mother, who notified authorities. Another 12-year-old girl also told investigators that she and Searl had inappropriate sexual contact.
Searl has been charged with three counts of lewd molestation and two counts of sexual abuse of a minor. He was a former bus driver employed by Wagoner Public Schools from 2009 to 2012.
Eugene Burchett, 71, was a school bus driver and the operator of an unauthorized daycare at the time of his arrest, also on April 81. Burchett was arrested after a 14-year-old girl reported that Burchett, described as a family friend, had been molesting her and having her perform sex acts on her since she was 9 years old. Burchett allegedly took pictures of the sexual encounters between himself and the young girl and showed her the pictures. She told authorities that the man would sometimes give her a ride home from school and have her perform oral sex on him as he drove.
When he was arrested, police say, Burchett allegedly admitted to sexually abusing the girl whose parents reported him and another girl as well. Investigators say there could be as many as ten victims in the case.
On Monday, Burchett was charged with eight counts of lewd or indecent acts or proposals to a child under 16 and one count of performing a lewd act in the presence of a minor. Each count of lewd acts with a minor is punishable by three to 20 years in prison if the victim is aged 12 or older. If, however, a victim is under the age of 12, the offense carries a minimum sentence of 25 years in prison.
As of this writing, both men are held in the Wagoner County Jail, with bond set at $100,000 for Searl and $200,000 for Burchett.
