Gulfport police said they pulled over a private school bus Monday morning and found 14 children inside, along with a registered sex offender behind the wheel, who did not have a driver's license.
Arnette Harrington, 57, was ticketed for driving on a suspended license and officers confiscated an illegal license plate that was attached to a D & Dee Transportation van, according to police.
Even though Harrington was convicted of sexual battery back in 1998, Gulfport police said he was not under any type of court supervision or restrictions that would prohibit contact with children.
Parent Chrisshun Cox, who was waiting to pick up her child from Gulfport Elementary, said she recognized the van and questioned what kind of company would hire a driver with Harrington's background to drive children to school.
"Any company that hires a sex offender to pick up children is unsafe to me ... Even if he’s allowed to be around children," she said. "Then, someone who doesn’t have a driver’s license and then with a stolen tag, come on. What company is doing that?"
A man who answered the phone at D & Dee Transportation told Bay News 9 that Harrington has "nothing to say" and that, "those accusations are untrue."
Police said there is no indication at this point of any inappropriate conduct with any children.
It's unclear how long Harrington had been dropping off and picking up the 14 students, who's ages range from 2 to 12 years old, at four different schools, according to Gulfport police. Those schools are Gulfport Elementary, Thurgood Marshall Middle, Fairmount Park Elementary and Douglas Jamerson Elementary.
Polcie said they began investigating Harrington last Friday when he dropped off a five-year-old child at home and left him unattended. The child's mother was unaware the bus driver was sex offender, according to a report.
Gulfport police said they will work with other government agencies regarding any potential violations of commerce and public transportation regulations by Harrington and the D & Dee Transportation Service.