Former LPS Bus Aide Pleads Guilty to Child Abuse

Kiarra Jones, a 29-year-old former paraprofessional for Littleton Public Schools, pleaded guilty to 12 child-abuse charges on the morning of Jan. 5. The charges stem from the on-camera abuse of autistic and nonverbal children she was responsible for on a school bus.

Her trial had been scheduled to run from Jan. 5 to Jan. 9, but as part of a plea agreement, prosecutors dismissed a 13th charge — a class 3 felony count of child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury. That count stemmed from an incident in which Jones allegedly stomped on the foot of student Hunter Yarbrough, breaking it.

“Knowing that to be able to accept this plea deal meant dropping the charge — kind of the most major charge and the main charge against Hunter — was tough to hear,” said Hunter’s father, Kevin Yarbrough.

He said he was disappointed that he could not get his chance in court to stand up for his son.

“Dropping that meant that (Jones) accepts guilt for everything else and that’s part of the process,” he said. “But I am a little disappointed.”

For his wife, Britney Yarbrough, no punishment feels sufficient for what their son endured.

“I know this is not some super awful thing in the realm of what attorneys and judges look at every day, but it’s the most horrible thing that’s ever happened to my son and our family,” she said. “No amount of time will do that justice.”

Jones pleaded guilty to 10 felony counts of at-risk child abuse and two misdemeanor counts of child abuse. Sentencing is scheduled for March 18 before Judge Laqunya Latrese Baker-McKay at the Arapahoe County Justice Center in Centennial.

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