Former Lowell school worker charged with sex abuse in Indiana
LOWELL, Mich. (WOOD) — A man who worked as a school bus driver and paraprofessional in Lowell Area Schools has been charged with seven counts of child molestation in Indiana.
The Grant County Sheriff’s Department in Indiana announced on Feb. 9 that Matthew Wayne Hare, 51, had been arrested in Kent County and extradited back to Indiana to face charges in a 2013 molestation case.
Hare was hired as a bus driver by Lowell Area Schools in Michigan in October 2017 and resigned from the district in July 2023, according to Lowell Superintendent Nate Fowler. Fowler told News 8 Hare also worked as a paraprofessional in the district.
“There were no complaints about him while he was employed at LAS. We conducted all required background checks through the Michigan State Police prior to his employment,” Fowler wrote in an email to News 8 Thursday afternoon.
There’s no indication Hare had a criminal record prior to his hiring by Lowell.
The Grant County Sheriff’s Office posted a news release on its Facebook page about the 2013 case.
“(Investigators in Indiana) received information that brought life back into the case, resulting in Detectives traveling to multiple states to conduct interviews and reviewing evidence that resulted in the suspect’s arrest,” the release said. “The victim was a child inside the household who would have been a minor at the time. These crimes happened over multiple years and were perpetrated by the suspect, who also resided in the household.”
Grant County Sheriff Del Garcia noted that detectives believed there may be other victims.
“If you are a victim of this case, or other cases, please come forward and allow us to seek justice for you,” the release said. “By law, a victim of sexual abuse as a child in Indiana will have until their 31st birthday to report the child molestation. After they turn age 31 the Statue of Limitation prevents a criminal investigation and prosecution.”
The release went on to quote statistics regarding the prevalence of child sexual abuse:
“As a reminder, the Indiana Center for Prevention of Youth Abuse and Suicide states that one out of every four girls are sexually abused, and one out of every six boys is sexually abused, with the median age for child abuse being nine years old. 90% of abusers are known to the victim and are people the child knows, loves, and trusts.”
The Kent County Sheriff’s Office told News 8 it has had prior contact with Hare but said it cannot release criminal history information. The Michigan State Police database showed no criminal record for the 51-year-old. KCSO did urge anyone with knowledge of suspicious behavior by Hare in Kent County to contact deputies at 616.632.6100.
Earlier this month, Lowell High School teacher James Christians was charged with criminal sexual conduct, accused of sexually abusing one of his students at Northview Public Schools more than 20 years ago. Christians was placed on administrative leave from Lowell schools after the allegations against him surfaced.
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