Maine Man Sentenced for Cyberstalking 8 Year Old From His Bus

A Maine man who drove a school bus in New Hampshire is going to prison for cyberstalking a boy from his bus, and the child's family.

Maine Man Pleaded Guilty to Cyberstalking

Michael Chick, 39, of Eliot, Maine is sentenced to 9 years in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to cyberstalking.

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Chick Lived in Maine But Drove a School Bus in New Hampshire

The details of this case are the stuff of parental nightmares. Chick drove a school bus for the Greenland Central School in Greenland, New Hampshire, which is where he met his 8-year-old victim. The case came to the attention of police when the boy's parents complained that the driver was showing a disturbing amount of attention to their son and daughter. Chick had given the boy gifts like candy, toys, and cellphones. He asked the boy's sister where the spare key to the family's home was hidden and she told him. Occasionally, he would leave notes at their home, telling the kids how much he missed them.

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8-Year-Old Threatened With an Imaginary Group That Would Torture Him

While he interacted with the daughter, it was his attention to the son that was the most disturbing. Chick instructed the boy to take inappropriate photos of himself and threatened that if he didn't 'The Team' would get upset. The child would later tell authorities that he was told 'The Team' had between 8 and 800 members, who would kidnap and torture him if he didn't do as he was told.

Chick also placed trackers on the parents' vehicles and often visited their home at night. When he invited himself to the boy's little league baseball game, the child's parents went to police. At that point, he was ordered to have no more contact with the family.