Bus driver facing child pornography charges
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A bus driver and former Pittsburgh police chaplain is facing child sex crime charges.
Allegheny County police arrested 57-year-old Michael Singer on Friday.
Police say the investigation into Singer began about a week ago when the mother of a student at Westinghouse Arts Academy notified them that her teen son was being groomed by his bus driver.
That mother told investigators that her son's bus driver, Singer, was sending her 17-year-old son explicit photos and chatting with him on the dating app Grindr.
"He should be the one people go to, not run away from," said Wilmerding's Paul Clayton.
When Singer was questioned by investigators, he admitted to texting the teenager but denied knowing he was talking to the same person on Grindr.
After a search of Singer's cell phone with his consent, investigators uncovered numerous explicit messages and pictures exchanged on the dating app that confirmed the teen's identity.
"I have an anger problem, but that doesn't mean I go around angry all the time. We're supposed to curb our impulses and not act on them."
In a statement posted to the Westinghouse Arts Academy website, the interim CEO said, in part, "While the bus company and its employees, including the driver involved, are not employed by Westinghouse Arts Academy, we take this matter seriously and are committed to taking all necessary steps to prevent a similar situation from happening again. We encourage parents to discuss the incident with their children and address any worries they may have."
Singer served as the chaplain for multiple organizations, including the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police.
In a statement to KDKA-TV, Pittsburgh police said, "Michael Singer served nominally as a police chaplain, but he has not been actively involved with the bureau in several years. Effective today, he is no longer permitted access to any PBP facility - beyond what would be afforded to any member of the public - and he is no longer affiliated with the Pittsburgh Police Chaplains' Program."
"He should be taken away and not be close to the kids anymore," Clayton said.
KDKA-TV reached out to the bus company, Sun Coach Lines, but did not hear back.
Singer is charged with multiple counts of possession of child pornography and dissemination to minors as well as unlawful contact with a minor and corruption of minors.