Former C.R. school bus driver gets deferred judgment, probation for having child porn

CEDAR RAPIDS - A former Cedar Rapids Community School District bus driver, convicted of having child pornography on his phone that employees discovered while they were repairing it in 2015, received a deferred judgment and probation last week in Linn County Associate District Court.

Jeremy R. Rodriguez, 34, pleaded guilty in June to sexual exploitation of a minor, an aggravated misdemeanor. He was originally charged with felony sexual exploitation of a minor, which carries a five-year prison term.

Sixth Judicial Associate District Judge Angie Wilson gave Rodriguez a deferred judgment and two years of self-supervised probation. He also was ordered to pay a civil penalty of $625, $300 for supervision fee and court costs.

Rodriguez also will have to register as a sex offender for 10 years.

Assistant Linn County Attorney Valerie Clay said if he doesn't comply with the terms of probation, he faces contempt of court or revocation of probation and being charged with the felony and sentenced to five years in prison.

Court documents show Cedar Rapids police were called to Batteries and Bulbs on July 3, 2015, when employees said they were attempting to fix a cellphone belonging to Rodriguez and inadvertently found images of child pornography on the phone.

Rodriguez admitted to police when he arrived to pick up his phone that he obtained the images, the complaint shows.

Clay said investigators found four prohibited images on his phone.

According to police, no local children were identified in the images found on Rodriquez's phone. Rodriguez was arrested on a warrant Nov. 29, 2016, and the school district said in a statement last year that he hasn't worked for the district since his arrest. He worked as a bus driver from 2013 until his arrest.

Before being hired as a bus driver, Rodriguez successfully passed pre-employment background checks required by law, according to the school district.

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