Pewaukee school bus sex assault case; cash bond increased to $400K
A parent of a second victim in the Pewaukee school bus sexual assault case pressed for higher cash bond for the accused.
The Waukesha County judge presiding over the case agreed with that request.
Thomas Felser is accused of sexually assaulting two young girls while on a school bus.
WAUKESHA, Wis. - FOX6 News is hearing from the parent of another victim in the Pewaukee school bus sexual assault case.
What we know
Prosecutors initially charged school bus driver Thomas Felser with sexually assaulting a 6-year-old girl. Additional charges were added last week when investigators discovered a second victim, this time, a 5-year-old girl.
The parent of the 5-year-old girl urged a Waukesha County judge on Monday, June 2 to increase Felser's cash bond.
What they're saying
"I just think it's tremendously important to protect the kids in our community," the parent said.
"This is someone who used his position of trust and authority to repeatedly abuse now not just one victim – but multiple victims," said the prosecutor.
Dig deeper
Prosecutors say Felser was a school bus driver in Pewaukee when he sexually assaulted two girls on his route. Investigators say Felser was captured on bus surveillance video putting his hand down the girls' pants.
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"The evidence in this case will show that the defendant was trying to position these victims on the school bus in such a way to avoid detection," the prosecutors said.
The backstory
A parent tracking her daughter's bus got worried when the bus had not moved in ten minutes. The mother found the bus parked in a neighborhood. He daughter was alone inside with Felser. That prompted Village of Pewaukee police to review the bus' surveillance video.
Hours of footage led detectives to discover that second victim. Prosecutors filed additional charges last week.
Dig deeper
After FOX6 News emails went unanswered, we went to Felser's employer, Go Riteway, with questions. A representative said she would pass them on to the company's lawyer.
We also requested the Pewaukee School District's contract with Go Riteway.
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The district previously told FOX6 News drivers undergo full background checks and was working with Go Riteway to "identify opportunities to enhance safety and security protocols."
On Monday, the judge sided with the state and increased Felser's cash bond to $400,000.
Village of Pewaukee police have not referred any additional charges.
Before becoming a bus driver in fall 2024, Felser worked as a teacher in Pewaukee for nearly 40 years.
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