Ex-school bus driver headed to prison

A former Oconee school bus driver has been ordered to serve three years in prison for the crime of criminal sexual conduct second degree.  Judge Maddox handed down the following sentence today to Windell Sutton Powell Jr., 75 years old:  20 years suspended to 10, with three years active, seven years home incarceration, and five years’ probation.   The victim in the case was a 15-year old, of whom the prosecution said the youth was a special needs student with an IQ of 68.  A sheriff’s office investigation began in May 2022 when a relative of the victim alerted a deputy to text messages between Powell and the victim.  In his earlier adult life, Powell worked for Duke Energy for 35 years.