A Hopkinton school bus driver has been charged with sexual assault on a Hillsborough minor. Joshua Wilson, 31, of Hillsborogh was arrested Monday, Dec. 6.

He is an employee of Laidlaw Transportation and was placed on administrative leave Friday, Dec. 1, from what appears to be an isolated incident in Hillsborough. The alleged victim was under the age of 16, said officer Robert McAllister of the Hillsborough Police Department. The investigation is ongoing.

Hopkinton School District Superintendent Brian Blake said he doesn’t have any reason to believe any Hopkinton children have been harmed.

“We got word yesterday (Tuesday, Dec. 7), during the day, that this driver was placed on administrative leave pending an investigation and he had been arrested for felonious sexual assault on a minor. My first reaction was to make sure that the Hopkinton kids were safe here,” said Blake. “Our understanding was that it was a situation in Hillsborough and didn’t involve any children in Hopkinton.”

Blake said Wilson was hired through Laidlaw and none of the paperwork was handled by the Hopkinton School District.

Jim Schumann, area general manager for Northern New England Laidlaw Educational Services, said extensive internal, state and federal background and criminal checks are done on all employees and Wilson had no prior issues.

Moreover, Wilson, who had been working for Laidlaw for roughly 14 months, has had no complaints from students, parent or administrators during that time, said Schumann.

“Basically, we were contacted last Friday by Hillsborough police who said they were going to contact Joshua and as soon as we received that information he was suspended pending the outcome. So he hasn’t been driving for us since we heard that information,” he said.

According to Schumann, Wilson drove bus route 95, which he believes covers the northern Hopkinton/Contoocook area of town.

Blake sent a letter home to parents on Wednesday, Dec. 6, and encourages anyone with concerns to contact the school district at 746-5186 or the police department at 746-5151. Wilson is scheduled for arraignment Monday, Jan. 29, at 8:30 a.m. at Hillsborough District Court in Hillsborough.