Child sexual assault; Pewaukee school bus driver trial begins
Child sexual assault; Pewaukee school bus driver trial begins
Testimony began Monday in the trial of Thomas Felser, accused of sexually assaulting four young students on a school bus.
PEWAUKEE, Wis. - Testimony began Monday afternoon, May 4, in the trial of a former Pewaukee school bus driver accused of sexually assaulting multiple young students.
What we know:
Prosecutors say Thomas Felser, 63, assaulted four girls last spring while transporting them on his bus. The children were between 4 and 6 years old at the time of the investigation, and video from the bus is expected to be a key part of the case.
Thomas Felser
Jurors heard from the mother of one alleged victim, who is not being identified to protect the child’s identity. She described tracking her daughter’s bus last year and finding it stopped along the side of the road before confronting the driver.
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She confronted the driver.
What they're saying:
"The bus driver was in there, but he was in the seat with my daughter with his head down," the woman said. "[...] He was like a deer in headlights."
Felser told investigators, "We were just talking about her day a little bit."
According to prosecutors, Felser used games like "monster" or "sleeping" to lure children onto his lap.
"What time is it, time to ‘go to sleep’ – a game they played," said Vivien Morris, prosecutor.
Prosecutors argued Felser used those moments to assault the children.
During opening statements, prosecutors told the jury Felser is a predator who took advantage of children he was supposed to protect.
Felser’s attorney pushed back, saying there is no video evidence showing inappropriate behavior.
"This is about interpretation. About confirmation over investigation," said Craig Powell, defense attorney. "The evidence will show you that’s because there’s no evidence in what they want you to assume is happening."
The defense also said one of the alleged victims maintains nothing happened.
Dig deeper:
Felser faces 11 felony charges, including repeated sexual assault of a child and sexual misconduct by school staff or a volunteer. He has pleaded not guilty and maintains his innocence.
"I’m confident at the end of this trial, once you’ve heard the interviews, testimony, bus surveillance – you’ll find the defendant guilty of all 11 counts," Morris said.
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Felser previously worked as a teacher in the Pewaukee School District for 37 years before becoming a bus driver.
The children involved are listed as possible witnesses in the state’s case. The trial is expected to last through the week.
Child sexual assault, Pewaukee school bus driver accused
A Pewaukee school bus driver is charged with the repeated sexual assault of a child. Investigators said it happened on the bus.
The Source: FOX6 News was in attendance on Monday, and referenced information from the Waukesha County District Attorney's Office and Wisconsin Circut Court, as well as prior coverage of Felser's case, for this report.