Charlotte Observer Logo

School bus driver accused of seeking sex from teen girl | Charlotte Observer

×
  • E-edition
  • Customer Service
  • Advertise
  • Newsletters

    • News
    • Local
    • Crime
    • Databases
    • Education
    • Election
    • Politics
    • Nation/World
    • Special Reports
    • North Carolina
    • South Carolina
    • Corrections
    • Columnists
    • Retro Charlotte
    • Your Schools
    • All Blogs & Columns
    • Sports
    • Carolina Panthers
    • Charlotte Hornets
    • That's Racin'
    • High Schools
    • College Sports
    • Charlotte Knights/MLB
    • Other Sports
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Inside the Panthers
    • Inside the NBA
    • Prep Insiders
    • Scott Fowler
    • Tom Sorensen
    • All Blogs & Columns
    • Politics
    • Elections
    • The North Carolina Influencer Series
    • RNC 2020
    • Business
    • Banking
    • Stocks Center
    • Top Workplaces
    • National Business
    • What's in Store
    • Development
    • All Blogs & Columns
    • Living
    • Religion
    • Food & Drink
    • Health & Family
    • Home & Garden
    • CLT Style
    • Travel
    • Living Here Guide
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • I'll Bite
    • Kathleen Purvis
    • All Blogs & Columns
    • Arts/Culture
    • Events
    • Movie News & Reviews
    • Restaurants
    • Music/Nightlife
    • Television
    • Books
    • Comics
    • Puzzles & Games
    • Rewards
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • All Blogs & Columns
    • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Influencers Opinion
    • Kevin Siers
    • Letters
    • Submit an Op-ed
    • Submit a Letter
    • Viewpoint
    • All Blogs & Columns
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • O-Pinion
    • You Write The Caption
    • Taylor Batten
    • Peter St. Onge
  • Celebrations
  • Obituaries
  • TV Listings

  • Public Notices
  • Cars
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Virtual Career Fair
  • Homes
  • Classifieds
  • Place an ad
  • Mobile & Apps

  • MomsCharlotte
  • Carolina Bride Magazine
  • South Park Magazine

Local

School bus driver accused of seeking sex from teen girl

By Mike Torralba and Steve Lyttle - mtorralba@charlotteobserver.com

    ORDER REPRINT →

August 19, 2008 07:20 AM

A Union County school bus driver and former swim coach remained in a Florida jail Monday, charged with soliciting sex from someone he believed to be a 14-year-old girl.

Michael Richard Wullschleger, 48, was on vacation in the Orlando area when he was arrested Friday by the Polk County Sheriff's Office as part of a crackdown on Internet-related crime.

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to The Charlotte Observer

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

After dropping off his wife, daughter and his daughter's friend Friday morning at Disney World, Wullschleger returned to his hotel room and began instant-messaging via computerwith undercover detectives posing online as 14-year-old girls, according to the Sheriff's Office.

During the chats, Wullschleger, using the screen name CHLTNCM, asked “if they'd ever been with a guy over 40, and if they wanted to … and discussed watching X-rated movies with them,” according to a news release by the Sheriff's Office. He told one of them he could teach her a sex act, according to a detective's affidavit.

Wullschleger later drove 45 miles from the hotel to a Lakeland gas station to meet the girl, deputies said. Instead, he was greeted by law enforcement officers. He told detectives he had used the screen name CHLTNCM, had chatted about wanting to engage in sexual activity but did not intend to go through with it, according to the affidavit.

Wullschleger was the only N.C. man among three arrested separately late last week as part of Operation Marauder, the Polk County Sheriff's Office's crackdown.

He is charged with one felony count each of using a computer to seduce a child and traveling to meet a minor for sex. He also faces two felony charges of receiving computer statements for the purpose of sexual conduct with a child. He could face a maximum of 30 years in prison if convicted. His bond has been set at $80,000.

A background check on Wullschleger by The Charlotte Observer turned up no prior arrests.

“We are not aware of any misconduct or suspicion of misconduct when he was on the job,” Union County Public Schools spokeswoman Luan Ingram said.

Wullschleger started working for Union County Public Schools in 1999 as a part-time swim coach at Parkwood High School in southwestern Union County and substitute bus driver, two years before the school system began mandatory criminal background checks, Ingram said. He eventually stopped coaching for the school system but continued to drive buses for Waxhaw Elementary and Parkwood middle and high schools. Wullschleger has been suspended without pay pending the outcome of his case, Ingram said.

Court and law enforcement officials in Polk County, Fla., could not say whether an attorney had been appointed for Wullschleger. A phone message left for his wife was not returned.

Wullschleger also was a part-time assistant swimming coach with the Wingate University men's and women's teams from 2004 to 2007, athletics director Steve Poston said.

Most recently, Wullschleger coached the Monroe Swim Team, a summer recreational squad for young children and teens. Wullschleger's contract with the swim team expired July 31, according to Julia Wheeler, the team's president. Coaches' contracts with the team state that “they may be subject to a background check,” Wheeler wrote in an e-mailed statement.

“Rick had been involved with (Monroe Swim Team) for many years, both as a parent of swimmers and as a coach,” Wheeler wrote. “The Board never had any complaints or concerns from parents or swimmers regarding Rick, and we are all shocked by the allegations.”

Staff researcher Marion Paynter contributed.

  Comments  

Videos

Mine shaft found under Charlotte house

Rookie USA Kids Fashion Show features celebrities in Charlotte

View More Video

Trending Stories

NBA players urge Zion Williamson to shut it down after bizarre injury during UNC game

February 21, 2019 09:11 AM

Mine shaft found under Charlotte house could be 150-year-old tunnel to gold

February 21, 2019 12:20 PM

Longtime grocer to close two more stores in the Charlotte area within weeks

February 21, 2019 04:57 PM

Dozens of popular stores to close in Charlotte as national retailers scale down or fold

February 21, 2019 01:11 PM

NC judge throws out voter ID and income tax constitutional amendments

February 22, 2019 05:38 PM

things to do

Read Next

Bennett College files a lawsuit in an effort to keep its accreditation

Local

Bennett College files a lawsuit in an effort to keep its accreditation

By Jane Stancill

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 22, 2019 03:53 PM

Despite a fundraising campaign that brought in $9.5 million, Bennett College lost an appeal to keep its accreditation, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges announced Friday.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to The Charlotte Observer

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE LOCAL

NC sheriff’s deputy accused of assaulting his estranged wife, authorities say

Crime

NC sheriff’s deputy accused of assaulting his estranged wife, authorities say

February 22, 2019 06:56 PM
Overtime pay for NC prison workers skyrockets, raising safety concerns

Local

Overtime pay for NC prison workers skyrockets, raising safety concerns

February 22, 2019 09:18 AM
United Methodists pray and brace for decision on same-sex marriage and gay clergy

Local

United Methodists pray and brace for decision on same-sex marriage and gay clergy

February 22, 2019 02:31 PM
Did a wolf or coyote kill NC teacher? DNA tests say maybe, but experts disagree

Local

Did a wolf or coyote kill NC teacher? DNA tests say maybe, but experts disagree

February 22, 2019 07:44 AM
Play turns deadly when woman’s boxer-mix dogs attack her in family yard, SC cops say

Local

Play turns deadly when woman’s boxer-mix dogs attack her in family yard, SC cops say

February 22, 2019 02:33 PM
ICE raids put undocumented students in ‘fear,’ activists say. They’re asking Wake schools for help.

Politics & Government

ICE raids put undocumented students in ‘fear,’ activists say. They’re asking Wake schools for help.

February 21, 2019 04:36 PM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Charlotte Observer App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Photo Store
Advertising
  • Information
  • Place a Classified
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story