Error sees sex offender hired to drive school bus

The New Zealand Transport Agency has apologised for allowing a convicted child sex offender to become a school bus driver, putting the mistake down to serious human error.

Maurice William Cudby, 72, was sentenced to 12 years in jail by Justice Jillian Mallon in the High Court at Wanganui earlier this month, having pleaded guilty to six counts of sexual offending against a boy, occurring over nine years from 1998 to 2007.

Cudby had previously been convicted of 12 charges representing indecencies against seven girls, committed between 1977 and 1993 while he was principal and sole teacher at a rural school. For that offending, he received five years' imprisonment in 1993.

During Cudby's sentencing, it emerged that, following his 1993 conviction, he was mistakenly allowed to work as a school bus driver as recently as 2010.

In late 2009, Cudby, a former Wairarapa man, applied to requalify for a passenger endorsement on his licence, which would allow him to drive a bus, having previously had one while he worked as a principal.

Despite disclosing his criminal past to the NZTA, he was issued a new passenger endorsement in May 2010 and was employed as a school bus driver.

However, his past came to light after a member of the public recognised him as a known child sex offender and reported him. He was immediately dismissed.

NZTA spokesman Andy Knackstedt confirmed Cudby had disclosed his past on his application form, making him subject to a "fit and proper person" check, which prohibits those with serious convictions, including sexual crime, from obtaining a passenger endorsement.

In Cudby's case however, "the law was not applied correctly", Mr Knackstedt said.

"This was a case of human error by the individual processing the application. It was a serious breach of the standards which the NZTA expects of our staff charged with processing these applications."

The person who made the error had already left the NZTA before the mistake came to light.

As soon as the NZTA became aware of Cudby's convictions the passenger endorsement was revoked, Mr Knackstedt said.

The NZTA "apologised unreservedly" for the error.

"We are very disappointed that this has occurred. The NZTA takes our responsibilities in this area very seriously. We understand the distress that this will have caused to parents and others in the community."

Mr Knackstedt said they were confident it was an "isolated case of serious human error".

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