A disturbing case of sexual assault was laid out in Suffolk Superior Court yesterday where prosecutors said a 53-year-old bus driver sexually assaulted two young girls and exposed himself to a pair of brothers.
Sergio Lara, a Guatemalan native, was indicted earlier this month and pleaded not guilty to the rape and other charges he faced yesterday.
As the owner and operator of a small transportation company, Lara drove children to and from school in Chelsea, East Boston and Revere in a van.
One of those children, a 5-year-old Everett girl, was sexually assaulted in March.
Lara allegedly performed oral sex on the girl, who then told her parents.
He “told the victim not to tell anyone about what had happened, and that they would be friends. He asked her what her favorite … candy was, telling her he would buy it for her the following day,” said Assistant District Attorney Mindy Klenoff.
More children have been identified as victims since Lara was first charged, including a pair of brothers, ages 8 and 9.
Lara talked with them about sexual topics and showed them photographs of naked women and of his own penis, prosecutors said.
He “would additionally pull out his penis … and masturbate to ejaculation in front of [the brothers], urging them to look, and telling the boys to masturbate as well,” Klenoff said.
Lara’s attorney had no comment.
