Girl, 16, Sexually Assaulted While Being Bused Through Bergen: Police

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — A bus driver stands accused of sexually assaulting a teen passenger while traveling through Bergen County, according to authorities.

Clarence Hedgeman, 41, is alleged to have sexually assaulted the 16-year-old girl in Wood-Ridge while he was transporting her "in a working capacity," police said in a complaint filed last week.

The girl was a stranger to Hedgeman, though he had a "legal duty" for her care, the complaint said.

Hedgeman, of Woodland Park, was arrested Thursday in Paramus and charged with endangering the welfare of a child and sexual assault by contact, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said.

The Passaic County man was remanded to the Bergen County Jail pending an initial court appearance, Musella said.