🚔 Arrested: Walton County deputies took a local bus driver into custody after a college student came forward.
🏫 School Action: The district suspended him immediately and began termination proceedings.
⚖️ Ongoing: Investigators say additional victims or charges are possible.
DEFUNIAK SPRINGS — A DeFuniak Springs man who worked as a school bus driver and a Department of Defense contractor has been arrested after investigators said he sexually abused a 16- or 17-year-old girl.
Charles Marcello Buono, 45, was taken into custody on Tuesday following an investigation by the Walton County Sheriff’s Office. The case began when a local college professor reported that one of their students had disclosed being abused. Campus police then notified sheriff’s investigators.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, the victim provided a detailed statement and recordings that corroborated her account. When confronted with evidence, Buono initially denied the allegations but later admitted to being depicted in one of the videos investigators presented to him.
Buono was arrested without incident and charged with lewd and lascivious molestation by an offender 24 years or older on a victim 16 or 17 years of age. His bond was set at $100,000, and he remains in custody as of Wednesday.
“What happened here is nothing short of evil,” Sheriff Michael Adkinson said in a statement. “Crimes like this shake our sense of humanity, and we will not rest until justice is served.”
The Walton County School District suspended Buono immediately after his arrest and has begun termination proceedings. He also worked for the Defense Health Agency as a Department of Defense contractor, the Sheriff’s Office confirmed.
Authorities emphasized that the charges are unrelated to Buono’s duties as a bus driver and that there is no indication the victim was a student on his route. However, investigators have not ruled out the possibility of other victims and are encouraging anyone with information to come forward.
“This investigation remains ongoing,” the release stated, “and additional charges may be forthcoming.”
Pro Communi Bono
St. Francis De Sales, Ora Pro Nobis!
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