DOUSMAN, Wis. — A Dousman school bus driver is facing criminal charges after prosecutors say he inappropriately touched young girls and showed them pornographic videos. He has since been put on administrative leave as a bus driver.
Delavan police identified the suspect as 39-year-old Matthew J. Gribben, who was a school bus driver for the Dousman Transport Company before being fired in connection with the charges. Police said in a statement that on June 25 they took a report regarding an alleged sexual assault on a Dousman Transport bus, spanning over several years.
The next day police launched an investigation to determine the victims. On June 28 police interviewed Gribben and then turned him over to the Walworth County Jail.
Court records show Gribben was charged with four counts of 1st Degree Child Sex Assault - Sexual Contact or Sexual Intercourse w/ Person under Age of 13 and two counts of Expose Child to Harmful Material. His adjourned initial appearance is scheduled for Wednesday.
The maximum prison sentence for the charges is more than 180 years.
A criminal complaint released Tuesday states during the interview with police, Gribben admitted to engaging in inappropriate behavior with children, including inappropriately touching young girls and showing them pornographic videos.
The incidents happened during the 2019-2020 and 2021-2022 school years.
One of the victims is a student with a cognitive disability. Gribben said he leaned over and played the videos to her over his phone.
Gribben continued to detectives that he had exposed himself to a young girl at his home. He said the child slept over where Gribben lived with his brother on High Street in Delavan. He says he inappropriately touched the child while she was asleep.
Police say Gribben's brother had previously admitted to sexually assaulting the child at the home in January or February of 2020.
Gribben said there are other girls he touched but that he could not remember their names.
The Delavan-Darien School District said in a statement that Gribben has since been fired from the driving job.
They gave no information about what happened, but did say the alleged behaviors are "completely unacceptable, extremely disappointing, and will not be tolerated" and that families who need support should contact the School Administration Center at 262-233-6800.
The district says their contract with the Dousman Transport Company requires bus drivers to pass a background check to make sure the applicant has not "engaged in any behavior that endangers the health or safety of students."
The Dousman Transport Company issued a statement Tuesday, saying that they are aware of the allegations involving their driver, identified as Matthew Gribben.
According to the company's statement:
"We immediately confirmed the matter had been turned over to the Delavan Police Department and notified the DelavanDarien School District. For over 60 years, Dousman Transport has committed itself to student safety above all else, and it will continue to use all available resources and best practices to ensure the safety of all our student passengers. Behaviors such as those allegedly committed by the former driver will never be tolerated at Dousman Transport, and anyone intent on harming any of our students will find absolutely no refuge at Dousman Transport. To that, we will continue to fully cooperate with the Delavan Police Department throughout the entirety of this investigation."
