Rape charges dismissed against former Kent school bus driver

Prosecutors decide they could not prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt due to medical tests

Courtesy Photo, Kent School District

Courtesy Photo, Kent School District

The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office dismissed rape and child molestation charges against a former Kent School District bus driver after deciding it couldn’t prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.

Ansu Aoyub Konneh, 39, of Renton, faced two counts of first-degree rape of a child and one count of first-degree child molestation, according to charging documents. He had a trial date of May 6, but charges were dismissed April 26.

“We believe the victim,” said Casey McNerthney, spokesperson for the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, in a May 14 email. “However, with the admissible evidence – specifically medical tests – we cannot prove the charges against the bus driver beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Prosecutors dismissed the case without prejudice, which means the case can be brought back to court.

“But if additional information is referred to us by police investigators on the bus driver or another subject, prosecutors will re-review the case,” McNerthney said. “It’s our understanding that this case is still an open investigation with police.”

Kent Police did not yet respond to a request for comment about the case.

In charging documents, prosecutors had claimed that Konneh allegedly raped an 11-year-old female student multiple times over three months inside a bus before dropping her off at her stop.

The incidents reportedly occurred between April 12, 2021 and June 30, 2021. The elementary school girl was the last student Konneh would drop off during his afternoon route. The girl came forward with information about the incidents in March 2023. Prosecutors filed charges June 30, 2023.

Konneh pleaded not guilty to the charges on Aug. 31, 2023. Konneh was booked Aug. 19, 2023 into the King County jail. Bail was set at $100,000. A judge approved Konneh’s release to electronic home monitoring on March 22, 2024, according to court records. With the dismissal of charges, he has been removed from electronic home monitoring.

Prosecutors claimed that Konneh reportedly gained the girl’s trust with chips and snacks in order to gain access to her body, according to charging papers. He allegedly would park at a remote location where the girl said she could see cars in the distance and trees around her.

The stepmother of the girl called Kent Police in March 2023 to report her stepdaughter reportedly had been sexually assaulted on her Kent school bus a year or so ago.

The girl attended her in-school counseling session in March 2023 when she wrote a note to her male counselor that she wanted to see his private area, according to charging documents. The counselor contacted the stepmother, who then asked the girl if she had ever seen a man’s private area before.

The girl then went into details about what the driver allegedly would do on the bus and later revealed more details during a child forensic interview to talk about the “bus situation,” according to charging documents.

The girl said the driver told her not to tell anyone about what they did and if she did, he would take her to his house, according to court documents. He reportedly told her he was not married and he didn’t have anybody which is why he was doing those things to her.

A Kent detective contacted the human resources director for the Kent School District who said Konneh had asked for a leave of absence in March 2022 without providing a reason. The district ultimately fired him from the district in September 2022 for job abandonment.

Following the report of the girl’s sexual assault, her father took her to Valley Medical Center in Renton for a sexual assault exam. The girl’s blood work returned with a positive result for herpes simplex virus 2, a lifelong infection, according to charging papers.

A doctor from the UW Medicine Virology Research Clinic told a detective that the virus can only be acquired through sexual contact, according to court documents.

According to documents provided to the Kent Reporter from a school district resident, the district hired Konneh in March 2018 as a substitute bus driver and in April 2018 he was reassigned as a full-time driver.


Talk to us

Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.

To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.

More in News

t
Cancer Center is open and ready to serve South King County

Cancer patients can now receive treatment at the Valley Medical Center in Renton.

t
Kent officers part of CW ‘Police 24/7’ episode Thursday night, Feb. 6

Department also part of future episodes after CW crews responded on calls with police in 2024

An Amtrak train in Kent. FILE PHOTO, STEVE HUNTER, Kent Reporter
Pedestrian, 30, dies in Kent collision with Amtrak train | Update

Medical examiner identifies Kent man struck Wednesday evening, Feb. 5 near East Titus Street

t
NTSB rules pilot lost control in 2023 Kent small plane crash

Pilot and passenger were injured; pilot flew without receiving training in plane model’s operation

Courtesy Photo, King County
Man receives 35-year sentence for 2021 Kent killing of mother

Duane Bates borrowed pipe wrench from neighbor in beating death and later returned it

A city of Kent Public Works crew member chains up a truck Feb. 3 to help clear snow from streets. COURTESY PHOTO, City of Kent
Kent schools closed for 3rd consecutive day due to icy conditions

Kent School District cancels classes on Wednesday, Feb. 5

t
World Relief office in Kent faces challenging refugee crisis

Trump’s executive order to suspend refugee resettlement directly impacts nonprofit

Courtesy Photo, Kent School District
Kent schools closed Tuesday, Feb. 4 due to icy roads

Second consecutive day of no school due to road conditions

Courtesy Photo, City of Kent
Kent Severe Weather Shelter to be open nights of Feb. 3-7

Shelter downtown at Holy Spirit Church will operate from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. each night

t
Kent Police hire officer who fatally shot Kansas man while on duty

Officer previously worked for Olathe Police Department; remains subject of wrongful death lawsuit

Calvin Watts. COURTESY FILE PHOTO, Kent School District
Ex-Kent schools’ superintendent Watts fired from Georgia job

Gwinnett County board terminates superintendent contract; Watts left Kent in 2021 for position