Rainier School Bus Driver Arrested

Lewis County Sheriff’s Office deputies have arrested a Rainer School District Bus Driver after investigating allegations of Child Molestation, Sexual Misconduct, and Assault 4th with Sexual Motivation.

The investigation which began after Tenino Police Department called the Sheriff’s Office to report they had learned that on October 18, 2011, Kenneth W. Sands, 51, of Rainier, had gone to a Rainier High School volleyball game in Onalaska to support the team. While watching the game Sands allegedly touched the breast of a 46 year old female spectator three times and then grabbed her buttocks as she was leaving to get away from the situation.

After the volleyball game was over, Sands grabbed a 15 year old volleyball player’s buttocks as she was waiting to get on the bus to go home with the team. He then proceeded to slap a 16 year old player’s buttocks as she was getting on the bus. Sands then got onto the bus and touched two other volleyball players' breasts. One was 16 and the other 17 years of age.

Sands was not in charge of driving the school bus on the night of the incident but was on the bus talking to the girls before the female school bus driver forced him to get off of the bus after the incidents occurred.

Sands is a school bus driver for the Rainier School District and has driven for the volleyball team and school routes.

Sands was arrested and booked into the Lewis County jail for Child Molestation 3rd, and referred to the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office for five counts of Assault 4th with Sexual Motivation, and three counts of Sexual Misconduct.

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