Accused : Patrick Fredricksen , 30 , in a police photo . A known child sex offender has been arrested on suspicion of stealing a school bus and driving it around to pick up youngsters . Patrick James Fredricksen , 30 - who has previous convictions for unlawful sexual activity with a minor and impersonating a firefighter - was stopped on his way to one child 's home in eastern Utah , police say . He had already used the bus 's on-board list of children 's names and addresses to try and abduct a young girl , they added . Fredricksen has now been booked into Emery County Jail for investigation of theft of a vehicle and attempted child kidnapping . He is also expected to face a charge of damaging a prison after breaking a sprinkler pipe inside his cell and flooding the booking area , said sheriff spokeswoman Janalee Luke . Fredricksen 's crime spree is alleged to have started while he was laying turf for a landscaping firm at a baseball complex in Huntington on Monday . An employee at the site phoned the local sheriff 's office to report a worker 'was acting strange ' and had left on foot with a set of master keys to the complex . Shortly afterwards , a nearby funeral-parlor worker reported that his car had been stolen from the company car park . Audacious : Fredricksen is said to have taken an American school bus and driven it to youngsters ' homes . He told police he had noticed a 'suspicious ' person around the building ' but was talking to a bereaved family at the time so 'was n't too concerned ' , according to the sheriff 's office . They claim Fredricksen was the thief and that he drove the car to an empty school bus , which had its keys inside . 'After stealing the bus and using a list he found in the bus containing names and directions [ to children 's houses ] , Fredricksen attempted to pick one child up at her home and was asking directions to a second child 's home , ' said the sheriff 's office . He had been foiled in his first attempt to a child after parking the bus on the family 's driveway , according to KSL News . The girl 's father got to the vehicle first and would not let her board after quizzing the driver . Fredricksen was eventually stopped by a sheriff 's lieutenant following a report of a suspicious person driving a school bus in the Cleveland area of Emery County . The lieutenant said he halted the slow-moving vehicle by pulling in front of it . The empty school bus , thought to be identical to the ones seen here in Utah , reportedly had its keys inside . Fredricksen , who has also used the names Pat Shelton and Patrick Fredrickson , is on Utah 's Sex Offender Registry after pleading guilty in 2004 to unlawful sexual activity with a minor . Court records show he was separately charged in 2005 with sexual exploitation of a minor and dealing in material harmful to a minor but the case was dismissed as part of an apparent plea bargain that resolved another case against him . The following year , Fredricksen was living in Salt Lake County when he pleaded guilty to impersonating a fireman . He had previously worked as a volunteer firefighter for the Huntington Fire Department but was dismissed in 2003 for stealing clothing and equipment . After his dismissal , he pinned on a stolen badge and lent a hand at emergencies , the court was told . He discovered where the real firefighters were working by listening to a police scanner . He also stole firefighting equipment and used his fake status to rent an apartment and get credit , according to newspaper reports from the time . He was sentenced to 36 months of probation and ordered to have counselling .
Patrick James Fredricksen was stopped on way to child 's home , say police . Sex abuser discovered the bus empty with its keys inside in Emery County . Score: 6