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Former New York school bus driver admits to raping 14-year-old, but gets no jail time
Shane Piche (left) was sentenced to probation for raping a 14-year-old girl who rode his bus in Watertown City School District. (Image source: WWNY-TV video screenshot)

Former New York school bus driver admits to raping 14-year-old, but gets no jail time

He also gave the girl alcohol

A former school bus driver, who pleaded guilty to raping a 14-year-old girl who rode his bus, got off without jail time Thursday, to the chagrin of the girl's mother, according to WWNY-TV.

The bus driver, 25-year-old Shane Piche of Watertown, New York, was sentenced to 10 years of probation and ordered to register as a Level 1 sex offender, the lowest classification reserved for those considered to be at a "low risk" of committing a sex crime in the future.

Although he pleaded guilty to third-degree rape, he had also been charged with endangering the welfare of a child for giving her alcohol, and first-degree unlawfully dealing with a child.

"I wish Shane Piche would have received time in jail for the harm he caused to my child," said the victim's mother in a statement to WWNY. "He took something from my daughter she will never get back and has caused her to struggle with depression and anxiety."

Piche's defense attorney, Eric Swartz, told WWNY that he felt the punishment was sufficient for his client's crime.

"He'll be a felon for the rest of his life," Swartz said. "He's on the sex offender registry for a long time. Maybe not the rest of his life because of the level but this isn't something that didn't cause him pain and this isn't something that didn't have consequences."

Police say he met the victim through his job as a bus driver for the Watertown City School District, and the assault occurred at his residence.

Piche will be required to pay $375 in court fees and $1,000 to register as a sex offender, although he will not be included in sex offender databases due to the level 1 designation.

He will not be allowed to be alone with anyone younger than 17 years old, with some exceptions, and he was fired from his bus driver job as a result of his crime.

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