Latest news with #ThomasFelser
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Pewaukee school bus sex assault case; cash bond increased to $400K
The Brief 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. FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android "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. SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News 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. The Source The information in this post was produced
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Pewaukee bus driver facing additional charges
A Pewaukee bus driver previously charged with sexual assault of a child now faces additional charges related to a second child. Three additional felony charges were filed in Waukesha County Circuit Court May 27 in an amended criminal complaint against Thomas Felser: one count of first-degree child sexual assault — sexual contact with a child younger than 13, and two counts of sexual misconduct by school staff or volunteer. He was originally charged May 16 with one felony count of repeated sexual assault of a child and three felony counts of sexual misconduct by school staff or volunteer. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. He remains in Waukesha County Jail on $350,000 bail, according to online court records. The amended complaint is similar to the original complaint, which said a mom went to the location of her child's bus May 13 after noticing on an app that it had not moved for 10 minutes. She discovered Felser and her child sitting close to each other, and Felser said they were just talking about the child's day. Security footage showed Felser and the child sitting next to each other that day, as well as other days. That child told police Felser touched them in their private areas, the complaint said. The amended complaint came about after police reviewed additional security footage from all of Felser's routes from April 2 to May 23, 2025. They discovered Felser had inappropriately touched another child on multiple occasions, the complaint said, listing incidents on April 3, April 7, April 16, April 17, April 28 and May 6. In a May 23 interview with police, a different child said Felser was playing the "monster" game, which involved going to the back of the bus and hiding. The child said Felser was usually the monster. When police asked whether Felser touched them where he wasn't supposed to, the child said they did not know and that they did not want to tell the officer "because it is 'super weird.'" Go Riteway, the bus company that Felser worked for, conducts full background checks for staff, has security cameras on all buses and provides universal training for staff on child abuse and neglect. It also provides GPS tracking, including the Here Comes the Bus app available to parents. The company declined to comment on Felser's case. Felser's attorney, Craig Powell, could not be immediately reached for comment. In a letter to parents, Pewaukee Schools Superintendent Mike Cady shared a link with community resources, which can be accessed at He declined to comment on the case. Anyone with additional information should call Village of Pewaukee Police at 262-446-5070, Cady said in his letter. Contact Alec Johnson at (262) 875-9469 or Follow him on X (Twitter) at @AlecJohnson12. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Pewaukee bus driver facing additional charges
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Pewaukee bus driver facing additional charges
A Pewaukee bus driver previously charged with sexual assault of a child now faces additional charges related to a second child. Three additional felony charges were filed in Waukesha County Circuit Court May 27 in an amended criminal complaint against Thomas Felser: one count of first-degree child sexual assault — sexual contact with a child younger than 13, and two counts of sexual misconduct by school staff or volunteer. He was originally charged May 16 with one felony count of repeated sexual assault of a child and three felony counts of sexual misconduct by school staff or volunteer. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. He remains in Waukesha County Jail on $350,000 bail, according to online court records. The amended complaint is similar to the original complaint, which said a mom went to the location of her child's bus May 13 after noticing on an app that it had not moved for 10 minutes. She discovered Felser and her child sitting close to each other, and Felser said they were just talking about the child's day. Security footage showed Felser and the child sitting next to each other that day, as well as other days. That child told police Felser touched them in their private areas, the complaint said. The amended complaint came about after police reviewed additional security footage from all of Felser's routes from April 2 to May 23, 2025. They discovered Felser had inappropriately touched another child on multiple occasions, the complaint said, listing incidents on April 3, April 7, April 16, April 17, April 28 and May 6. In a May 23 interview with police, a different child said Felser was playing the "monster" game, which involved going to the back of the bus and hiding. The child said Felser was usually the monster. When police asked whether Felser touched them where he wasn't supposed to, the child said they did not know and that they did not want to tell the officer "because it is 'super weird.'" Go Riteway, the bus company that Felser worked for, conducts full background checks for staff, has security cameras on all buses and provides universal training for staff on child abuse and neglect. It also provides GPS tracking, including the Here Comes the Bus app available to parents. The company declined to comment on Felser's case. Felser's attorney, Craig Powell, could not be immediately reached for comment. In a letter to parents, Pewaukee Schools Superintendent Mike Cady shared a link with community resources, which can be accessed at He declined to comment on the case. Anyone with additional information should call Village of Pewaukee Police at 262-446-5070, Cady said in his letter. Contact Alec Johnson at (262) 875-9469 or Follow him on X (Twitter) at @AlecJohnson12. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Pewaukee bus driver facing additional charges
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Yahoo
Child sexual assault, Pewaukee school bus driver accused
The Brief A Pewaukee school bus driver is charged with the repeated sexual assault of a child. Prosecutors said it happened on his school bus, and the victim is a 6-year-old girl. The Pewaukee School District said he was a teacher for nearly 40 years. PEWAUKEE, Wis. - A Pewaukee school bus driver is charged with the repeated sexual assault of a child. Investigators said it happened on the bus, and he worked with kids for decades. What they're saying Prosecutors charged 62-year-old Thomas Felser with sexually assaulting a 6-year-old girl on his school bus multiple times. "He used his position of authority and trust to routinely access and abuse the victim," the prosecutor said. Investigators said Felser gave the girl candy and made her sit on his lap. He allegedly put his hands down her pants when they were alone. FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android "The mother had become concerned when she checked the GPS app and saw that the school bus had not moved for about 10 minutes," the prosecutors said. The victim's mother drove to the bus and said she found Felser alone with her daughter. Village of Pewaukee police reviewed bus surveillance video, which prosecutors said captured Felser "repeatedly touching the victim." Prosecutors also said Felser sat with the girl in a row of seats obscured by the school bus's camera. "The victim later participated in a forensic interview where she disclosed the defendant repeatedly touched her on the bus," the prosecutor said. The victim's mother spoke in court and asked that her voice not be used in an effort to protect her daughter's identity. She told the court commissioner: "My daughter, like all children, deserves to grow up feeling safe, valued and protected. But instead, her innocence was ripped away from her in the most horrific way." SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News In addition to repeated sexual assault of a child, Felser is charged with three counts of sexual misconduct by school staff. The court commissioner set his bond at $350,000. He has no prior criminal record. What's next The village of Pewaukee police chief said there are no other victims at this time but encouraged anyone with additional information to come forward to police. Dig deeper The Pewaukee School District said Felser was a teacher at Pewaukee High School and Asa Clark Middle School for 37 years. He retired in 2020 and most recently worked as a summer school teacher in 2024. As of Thursday, Felser's current employer, Go Riteway, placed him on leave. The Source The information in this post was provided by Wisconsin Circuit Court Access as well as the criminal complaint associated with this case.
