Former Phoenix school-bus aide gets 15 years in child molestation

A 72-year-old former Valley school-bus aide who stood accused of more two dozen sex offenses was sentenced to 15 years in prison and lifetime parole under sex-offender terms for his contact with an 11-year-old special needs student in Phoenix in 2011.

Andres Mendoza was sentenced Tuesday at the end of a lengthy criminal case that began in the summer of 2011.

Mendoza had worked as an aide on a bus in Washington Elementary School District for close to eight years, helping supervise some of the special-needs children. For over a week, Mendoza initiated sexual contact with an 11-year-old female student multiple times, which he tried to pass off as "playing around," according to court records.

But Phoenix detectives were called after the driver of the bus where Mendoza worked told authorities that she thought he was acting inappropriately with one of the students on the bus. Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from inside the bus and found enough clear evidence to arrest Mendoza on July 6, 2011. The female victim was later interviewed by forensic investigators where she was able to confirm that Mendoza had acted inappropriately toward her, according to court records.

Mendoza on Tuesday blamed the bus driver, though he pleaded guilty to three counts of child molestation in a plea agreement after he initially rejected a more lenient agreement a few weeks prior.

Aggravating factors were added to Mendoza's charges, which warranted a sentence of 15 years in prison, as well as lifetime probation and the requirement that he register as a sex offender.

Mendoza had served nearly three years in jail while awaiting sentencing.