Irving Police Address Child Grooming Incident on School Bus

The Irving Police Department addressed a child grooming incident that happened on an Irving ISD school bus earlier in April.

The department issued a statement on the incident on Thursday morning. According to the statement, Irving ISD notified the Irving Police Department that a juvenile had reported to their parents that they had been inappropriately touched by a bus driver assistant the previous day, April 7.

On the same day, police identified 75-year-old Juan Gonzalez, a bus driver's assistant employed by the district, as a suspect. Gonzalez is no longer employed by the school district, the statement notes.

The department's Crimes Against Children Unit responded and launched an investigation. Based on the victim's story and electronic evidence, detectives obtained a warrant for Gonzalez on a charge of child grooming.

Gonzalez was arrested on April 9 and is currently being held in the Dallas County Jail on a $25,000 bond. During an interview with detectives, Gonzalez reportedly indicated there may be additional victims over the three-year period that he worked for Irving ISD. That period started in February 2023.

Given the nature of his role as a substitute assistant working drop-off and pick-up on various routes, the Irving Police Department is urging parents to speak with their children about appropriate and inappropriate contact to help determine whether their children may have been victims.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the department at 972-721-3535 or via email at ECloud@IrvingTX.gov. Anonymous tips can be submitted through IPDCrimeTips@IrvingTX.gov.