VENANGO CO., Pa. (EYT) — A former school bus driver who had an inappropriate relationship with an Emlenton teenage girl in 2014 is scheduled to be sentenced on Friday.

According to court documents, 43-year-old Louis James Saluga, of Hilliards, Butler County, is scheduled to appear at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, June 8, in the Venango County Court of Commons Pleas in front of President Judge Robert L. Boyer.

On October 23, 2017, Saluga pleaded guilty to Statutory Sexual Assault: 8-11 Years Older, a second-degree felony.

As a result of the plea agreement, the following charges were dismissed:

– Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse Person Less Than 16 Yrs Age, Felony 1
– Indecent Assault Forcible Compulsion, Misdemeanor 1
– Indecent Assault Person Less 16 Yrs Age, Misdemeanor 2

Saluga is currently free on $50,000.00 unsecured bail.

Details of the case:

A criminal complaint filed by Franklin-based State Police Trooper O’Toole indicates that Saluga, who was 39-years-old at the time, is accused of having sex with the victim multiple times in 2014.

The investigation stemmed from a 2014 police report made by a Scrubgrass Township man who indicated that he looked at his 15-year-old daughter’s cell phone and discovered various text messages to and from a man named ‘Lou,’ a complaint states.

The man stated that he asked his daughter about the messages and she told him that she had “Lou’s” number because he was a school bus driver for her school, A-C Valley, and explained that she had the number in case of a schedule change or an emergency.

The victim’s father then looked further at the messages that had been sent to and received from “Lou.’ The content of these messages were of a concerning nature, the complaint states.

Saluga Interviewed by State Police in 2014

During an interview at the Franklin State Police barracks on June 25, 2014, Saluga told police that he decided to stop at the victim’s Emlenton-area house after he noticed her father’s car was not in the driveway.

Saluga stated that he spent time with the victim in her bedroom, according to the criminal complaint.

The criminal complaint states that Saluga told police the victim kissed him “a few times.” When asked to be more specific about the number of times the kissing occurred, he stated that it happened on 5 to 10 occasions.

Saluga told police that he “did not kiss the victim back.”

Victim Interviewed in 2016

The criminal complaint states that the victim was interviewed at the Venango County Courthouse on January 28, 2016.

During the interview, the victim stated that she and Saluga had vaginal sex six to seven times, and she performed oral sex on him approximately seven times.

She said the two had sex for the first time on May 29, 2016, in her bedroom at her house.

“She remembers this date because it was the first time she ever had sex,” said Trooper O’Toole in the document.

The victim indicated that the sexual acts were not forced; however, she said that she felt pressured to have sex, according to the criminal complaint.

Saluga told the victim that “he was fixed” and therefore did not wear not wear a condom, according to the victim’s statement.

The criminal complaint states that the victim also told police “she now knows what Saluga did was wrong.”

Saluga Jailed After DNA Comparisons

The criminal complaint indicates blankets from the victim’s bed and multiple clothing items belonging to the girl were sent to a Pennsylvania State Police laboratory in Erie for testing.

On June 29, 2016, the results of the tests revealed that seminal fluid was found on the blanket and other clothing items.

A search warrant was then issued for the collection of Saluga’s DNA.

On April 6, 2017, a report documenting the DNA comparisons was obtained from the PA State Police Bureau of Forensic Services.

The report revealed that Saluga’s DNA matched the ‘Y’ chromosome haplotype found on the blanket and a pair of underwear belonging to the victim.

A warrant was subsequently issued for Saluga’s arrest.

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