A former Pewaukee bus driver and school teacher accused of sexually assaulting preschool-aged children has been found guilty on eight out of 11 charges. He was found not guilty on three charges of sexual misconduct by a school staff or volunteer.
During the trial the mother of one of the victims testified that she called police when she found her daughter and Thomas Felser alone on a parked bus.
She says she noticed the bus was not moving one day when her daughter was supposed to be dropped off, and she tracked the location of the bus through a GPS app.
Surveillance video from the bus shows Felser in the middle of the bus with his head down. The victim is out of view but sitting next to him — where the mother said she found her daughter.
"I knew it was completely out of the norm, and I could see the look on Tom Felser's face, and I could see the look on my daughter's face, and I wanted it investigated," she said.
Watch: Pewaukee bus driver found guilty of sexually assaulting pre-schoolers on his route
She says she took her daughter home and then called the bus company, the school, and the police when she saw how her daughter was acting.
"I could see her chest, and I could see it beating, and I had a strong suspicion that something had gone on for whatever reason she was scared," the mother said.
Police reviewed video footage from the bus and say they found other children who were also victims. They could see on the video children sitting by themselves on Felser’s lap while the bus was empty.
Felser began driving for the district in 2024. Prior to that, he had been a teacher in the district for more than 30 years.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 24.
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