Springdale bus driver arrested in child porn investigation

George Odea
George Odea

A bus driver for the Springdale School District has been arrest on suspicion of possessing hundreds of images of child pornography, Benton County Sheriff Kelley Cradduck said.

Benton County sheriff's deputies arrested George Odea on Tuesday afternoon at his Rogers homes.

Cradduck said Odea had over 500 images of child pornography on his computer.

"It was a case we targeted and expedited because we had someone who was working around children everyday," Cradduck said.

The Sheriff's Office's crybercrime unit is responsible for Odea's arrest, Cradduck said.

Cradduck formed the unit of four detectives and an analyst after he was sworn in Jan. 1.

Odea was being transported Tuesday afternoon to the Benton County Jail.

The Springdale School District placed Odea on administrative leave about a week ago, when district officials learned he was under investigation, said Superintendent Jim Rollins.

Rollins said Odea will remain on leave until the investigation is complete.

Rick Schaeffer, district spokesman, said Odea has worked for the district for about three years. His bus routes include Monitor Elementary School, Sonora Middle School and Springdale High School.

Correction

A previous version of this story misspelled George Odea's last name. The error has been corrected.

Upcoming Events