A former school bus aide in suburban Denver pleaded guilty Monday to assaulting three nonverbal students with autism, entering pleas on 12 charges after bus surveillance video captured abuse the children could not report themselves.
Kiarra Jones, 30, faces up to 15 years in prison at a sentencing set for March 18 after pleading guilty to 10 felony counts of third-degree assault of an at-risk child and two misdemeanor counts of child abuse, according to the office of 18th Judicial District Attorney Amy Padden.
Jones entered the guilty pleas under a plea agreement as she was about to go on trial, according to prosecutors and court documents. She is represented by the public defender’s office, which does not comment to the media on its cases.
How the Abuse Came to Light
The abuse was revealed in 2024 by bus surveillance video, according to prosecutors. The footage came to light after Jessica Vestal, the mother of one of the students, asked school officials to review it to explain a series of injuries her son had suffered after going to school, including bruises all over his body and a black eye. He was 10 years old at the time.
The three students targeted were nonverbal children with autism who were unable to report the abuse themselves.
Family Statement
Jessica and Devon Vestal said in a statement released by the law firm Rathod Mohamedbhai, which represents them and the two other affected families, that they are haunted by whether their son understands why the abuse happened.
“We are committed to making sure that he understands how deeply he is loved,” the Vestals said.