From DA Keith Higgins's office:
District Attorney Keith Higgins announces that Joseph Jordan, 66, of Brunswick, was convicted of child molestation and sexual assault against a child under the age of 16, following a two day jury trial.
The charges stem from an incident that occurred on September 18, 2020, when Jordan, then a school bus driver with Glynn County, was parked outside the Glynn County stadium for a football game. The 10 year old victim’s mother was also a school bus driver and co-worker of the defendant, and was parked next to him. During the game, the victim and her younger brother went back and forth between the two buses as their mother was cleaning up her bus. At one point during the evening, Jordan sat next to the victim and began holding her hand. He also started to rub her inner thigh and then took her hand and placed it on his groin area. All of this was captured on the school bus video recording system.
Later that evening, the victim disclosed to her mother that Jordan had touched her. The victim’s mother reported the event to school police who conducted the investigation and subsequently arrested Jordan.
At trial, Jordan testified that he touched the victim, but denied that it was sexual in nature. Jordan claimed it was an error in judgment.
“In cooperation with the Glynn County Transportation Department and through collaborations with Glynn County School Investigator Ricky Hilburn and the Safe Harbor Children’s Advocacy Center, we were able to conduct a thorough investigation and present a compelling case to the jury,” said Assistant District Attorney Seterria Brodnex, who prosecuted the case on behalf of the State. “The defendant acted brazenly in this incident, which was caught on a school bus camera; however, the child victim was brave by immediately reporting what happened to her mother and then facing her abuser in court.”
Members of the Glynn County jury deliberated for approximately one hour before reaching its guilty verdicts. On October 5, 2021, Superior Court Judge Roger B. Lane sentenced Jordan to 17 years confinement, with 10 years to serve. Jordan is also required to register as a sex offender.