(MS)
WLBT [Jackson, MI]
March 20, 2025
By Quentin Smith and Jordan Gartner
A Jefferson County pastor and former school bus driver is being accused of sexually exploiting juveniles.
On Wednesday, Elvis Colenberg turned himself into the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department.
He’s being charged with one count of exploitation of children.
Sheriff James Bailey Sr., said his department and the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation are investigating the case.
According to investigators, Colenberg forced a 14-year-old boy and a 14-year-old girl to have sex with each other on the school bus he was driving.
The female student told law enforcement this happened about 20 times.
“The young lady she was kind of devastated about it, traumatized,” Bailey said. “We actually were going to seek counseling for her because she said it happened so many times and she felt like she was done wrong.”
The investigation was launched back in February after the 14-year-old female student came forward to law enforcement confessing what was happening.
Investigators said the alleged incidents happened during the afternoon bus route when Colenberg was supposed to be dropping the students off at home.
According to the sheriff, the female student rode Colenberg’s bus, but the 14-year-old male student was not a standard bus rider. Colenberg would pick him up from another location.
Bailey said the pastor would drop all the other students off at their homes until it was just the two 14-year-olds left. That’s when he would force them to have sex while he sat back and watched.
“It’s a sad situation either way you look at it … for both parties, especially for the female,” Bailey said. “For that kind of activity to happen, and his expectation of being a minister. It’s just tough that these kinds of actions were taking place in his presence, and he was engaging in it, it’s hurting.”
The sheriff said Colenberg even offered to pay the students to have sex with one another while he watched.
Authorities said they are still investigating how long this has been taking place and what made Colenberg target the two students.
Throughout his nearly 40 years in law enforcement, Bailey said he’s never investigated a case like this before.
“We have to do what we have to do,” he said. “If a crime is committed, then we have to act on it. This is a serious crime dealing with children and juveniles and exploitation of crimes, watching them while they have sex, that’s very serious.”
Colenberg is no longer a part of the Jefferson County School District and is not driving buses.
The school district issued the following statement in light of the allegations surrounding Colenberg:
“We have been advised by our legal counsel that because this is a personnel matter, we are not at liberty to discuss any specific allegations. The Jefferson County School District is working with law enforcement regarding this matter.”
Colenberg was given a $200,000 bond. He’s being represented by attorney Dennis Sweet while waiting for a preliminary hearing to be scheduled.