Former Woodland bus driver pleads guilty to molesting teenager
A former Woodland Elementary District 50 bus driver will serve 36 months probation after pleading guilty in Lake County court to molesting a teenager under the age of 18.
Kristin Vesley-Miks, 33, of the 33000 block of Sunset Avenue in Wildwood, was also sentenced to 18 months of periodic imprisonment. However, Assistant State’s Attorney Jason Grindel said Vesley-Miks will not serve any time in jail if she completes all the requirements of her probation.
In addition to parenting and sex offender counseling, Vesley-Miks must register as a sex offender for life, and she is prohibited from having contact with the victim, the family of the victim, and anyone under the age of 17 while on probation.
Vesley-Miks is only allowed to have supervised visits with her five children pending the results of parental counseling. She must perform 200 hours of public service and donate $2,500 to the Lake County Child Advocacy Center.
She also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of cruelty to animals after police discovered a malnourished animal in her home during her arrest. Under that plea agreement, she is not allowed to keep animals while on probation, Grindel said.
Vesley-Miks and her attorney John Murphy did not comment following the court hearing.
She pleaded not guilty to four counts of criminal sexual assault and 12 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse following her arrest May 14. Vesley-Miks was also charged with two counts of indecent solicitation of a child and two misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals.
She was charged after the mother of the then-15-year-old victim found several social media messages written by Vesley-Miks that referred to sexual encounters the two had between March 1 and Oct. 31, 2012.
The victim was not a District 50 student, nor did the two meet while Vesley-Miks worked as a bus driver, authorities said.
Vesley-Miks, who had worked for District 50 for five years, was suspended from her bus route April 17, the same day officials learned she was being investigated, officials said. The school board voted to terminate her employment May 16.