Former Floyd County bus driver will remain in federal custody as new details arise

LONDON, Ky. (WSIP) – A former Floyd County school bus driver accused of attempting to entice a minor for sexual activity will remain in federal custody while his case moves forward.

A federal magistrate judge ordered Andrew D. Lewis, 40, of Prestonsburg, detained following a hearing in U.S. District Court this week. Lewis is charged with attempted online enticement to commit first-degree sexual abuse of a minor.

Court records provide new details about the investigation, which began March 27 after two middle school girls who rode Lewis’ bus reported inappropriate behavior.

According to testimony from an FBI special agent, one girl reported previous lingering hugs and inappropriate touching. A second girl alleged Lewis approached her while driving his morning route, made an inappropriate comment about her appearance and touched her buttocks.

Three cameras on the school bus recorded portions of that encounter. The court filing says the video does not clearly show the alleged touching because of the camera angles and position of the bus seats, but investigators testified the video was generally consistent with the girl’s account. The girl later got off the bus at another student’s stop after attempting to contact family members.

Investigators also testified that both girls reported Lewis had communicated with them through social media.

According to the filing, Lewis was interviewed by school employees after returning to the bus garage and initially retained possession of his cellphone. When law enforcement later obtained the phone, investigators said it had been wiped. A forensic examination reportedly found a Google search concerning how to delete the contents of a phone.

The federal charge centers on a separate electronic message investigators recovered involving a third middle school girl. Authorities have not determined that the sexual act referenced in that message ever occurred. The court emphasized that Lewis remains presumed innocent.

Lewis’s wife testified in support of his release, telling the court he could return to the family home and that firearms had been removed. The defense also proposed removing internet-capable devices from the residence.

The judge rejected that proposal, finding it unrealistic in a household that includes Lewis’s wife, who is a full-time teacher, three school-age children and Lewis’s elderly mother. The court was particularly concerned that Lewis could be left unsupervised during the school day with access to internet-capable devices.

The court also considered recorded jail calls in which Lewis and his wife allegedly discussed contacting law enforcement officers and elected officials for help with the case. Prosecutors acknowledged those conversations had not, at that point, risen to the level of chargeable obstruction of justice.

The judge ultimately determined that release conditions would not reasonably assure community safety, citing the allegations involving minors, the wiped cellphone, the availability of additional electronic devices and concerns about Lewis complying with court-imposed restrictions.

Lewis was ordered to remain in federal custody until his trial date, which is set for September 29th.