MECHANICSBURG — A 62-year-old school bus driver for the Mechanicsburg Area School District has been charged with corruption of minors and indecent assault of a person less than 16 years of age in connection to an incident involving a teenager more than two decades ago.
Dean Jay Faulk, of Monroe Township, was a friend of the victim’s family at the time of the incident, according to a criminal complaint affidavit filed by Pennsylvania State Police.
In an interview with police, Faulk denied ever touching the victim sexually, but did describe an incident in which he attempted to help the victim use a watermelon to masturbate.
The victim told police he did not remember such an incident, according to the criminal complaint.
Police began investigating in August 24, 2017, when the victim initially came forward. The victim told police that Faulk, a family friend and trusted member of the community, often brought the victim to his home to watch movies and would take the victim on trips to see musicals in Hershey and New York. The victim, who told police he was in 6th or 7th grade at the time, said Faulk began talking to him about sexual topics, specifically about masturbation.
In one incident, the victim said, Faulk asked if the victim would like to try masturbation at Faulk’s home, and offered to help the victim perform the act. The victim said Faulk backed off when the victim told him no. He then drove the victim home and asked the victim not to tell anyone, saying it could cause Faulk to lose his job.
After his interview with police, the victim contacted Faulk by phone, and police were able to listen to the call. During the conversation, the victim expressed concern about Faulk’s proximity to children with his work as a bus driver.
He also spoke to Faulk about Faulk’s attempt to help him masturbate. A partial transcript of the conversation, which occurred on Oct. 19, 2017, according to the criminal complaint, appears below:
“I never touched you,” Faulk said.
“I remember that you did, Dean,” the victim said.
“You told me not to, I remember that,” said Faulk. “I backed off, because you said don’t touch it, don’t touch it.”
“If I would have let you, you would have,” the victim said later in the conversation.
“Maybe, but I respected you,” Faulk answered. “You said no, and that was it.”
Faulk was interviewed by police on Dec. 6, 2017, according to the criminal complaint. He told police he met the victim when the victim was a sophomore at Mechanicsburg High School. Faulk was a volunteer on the stage crew for musicals at the school at the time, he said, and also knew the victim through his family.
Faulk said the victim, who was interested in becoming a priest, told him he was interested in learning about masturbation and was curious about what sex felt like. Faulk said the victim wanted to masturbate with a watermelon, because a friend of the victim told him it was the closest thing to a vagina.
According to Faulk, the victim came to Faulk’s house after Faulk agreed to help the victim masturbate. Faulk told police he bought a watermelon, cut a hole in it, and gave it to the victim, who was in a bedroom at Faulk’s home. He said he gave the victim the watermelon and left the room.
When the victim struggled to perform the act, Faulk told police, Faulk went back into the room and held the watermelon on the bed. Faulk said he held the watermelon for about 30 seconds before the victim abandoned the attempt, which Faulk termed “a disaster,” because the watermelon rolled and there was juice everywhere.
Faulk told police he got the victim a towel and handed it to him to clean up. He denied ever touching the victim, police say.
In a second interview with Faulk, conducted on Dec. 16, 2017, police told Faulk the victim did not remember the watermelon incident. Police said the victim accused Faulk of showing him pornographic movies and offering to help the victim masturbate. At one point, the victim told police, Faulk touched the victim’s penis, but stopped when the victim told him to.
Faulk denied ever showing the victim pornographic films, saying he never owned a VCR, according to police. Faulk denied ever touching the victim or having sex with any other minor, police say.
Police filed charges against Faulk via summons. A preliminary hearing is set for July 18 in district court.
