Testimony opened Monday in Waukesha County, where jurors in the trial of former Pewaukee school bus driver Thomas Felser began hearing what prosecutors say is months of disturbing footage from cameras mounted inside his bus. Prosecutors say the alleged victims were preschoolers, roughly 4 to 6 years old, and that the interior surveillance recordings will be the backbone of the state’s case.
According to FOX6 News Milwaukee, prosecutors told jurors that Felser, 63, played quiet games such as "monster" or "sleeping" to draw children onto his lap while the bus was stopped. Assistant District Attorney Vivien Morris described one such game, telling jurors that students would hear, "What time is it, time to 'go to sleep'," as the state outlined its opening theory of how the alleged abuse unfolded.
Jurors also heard from the mother of one alleged victim, who testified that she tracked her child’s bus using a GPS app, noticed it had stopped on the side of the road, then drove out herself and confronted the driver. That confrontation prompted investigators to pull dozens of bus recordings, which prosecutors say show a pattern of Felser sitting alone with young children while the bus was stationary and handing out candy, as reported by TMJ4.
Felser has pleaded not guilty. His attorney, Craig Powell, told jurors the case is "about interpretation" and argued that no video clearly shows inappropriate conduct, according to FOX6 News Milwaukee. The defense has also pointed out that at least one of the alleged victims maintains that nothing happened.
Charges And What Is At Stake
Prosecutors are pursuing an expanded case that now includes 11 felony counts, including repeated sexual assault of a child and multiple counts of sexual misconduct by school staff. If convicted on the most serious charges, Felser faces a maximum sentence of 70 years, according to CBS 58. In opening remarks, the state focused on the theme of a trusted adult allegedly using routine access to very young children to commit crimes out of public view.
The charges trace back to May 2025, when the GPS tip from a mother triggered a police review of the interior bus cameras. Prosecutors later amended the criminal complaints in late May and again in July after additional video allegedly revealed more victims, as detailed by TMJ4. Hoodline previously covered the initial arrest and the later expansion of charges in 2025 in our earlier arrest coverage.
What To Expect At Trial
Jury selection began May 4 in Waukesha County, and the trial is expected to run through this week with jurors set to see hours of surveillance footage and hear recorded interviews and live testimony, per CBS 58. Prosecutors have signaled that the sequence of videos, along with caregiver accounts, will form the narrative they present to the jury.
Legal Implications And Next Steps
The Felser case is unfolding at a time when Wisconsin is already under pressure to tighten oversight of educator and school staff misconduct. State lawmakers ordered an audit of the Department of Public Instruction’s licensing and investigation systems after reporting on hundreds of separate misconduct probes, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Local prosecutors say they plan to present the bus surveillance, forensic interviews and witness testimony over the coming days, while the court manages any measures needed to protect child witnesses.
The trial is scheduled to continue through the week with additional testimony expected. Felser remains free on a six-figure bond while the case moves through Waukesha County Circuit Court. After both sides present their evidence and closing arguments, jurors will be asked to decide whether the surveillance and testimony prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
