Child porn trial set for former Iowa City school bus driver

A former Iowa City school bus driver already in prison for sexual abuse has an Oct. 4 trial date for a child pornography charge, according to court records unsealed Monday

John T. Grassi, 35, pleaded not guilty to a federal charge of possessing child pornography during an arraignment Monday morning in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa in Davenport.

Grassi is accused of having computer images and videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Grassi was arrested in December 2008 and admitted he sexually abused a relative, according to court records. He later pleaded guilty in Johnson County District Court to third-degree sexual abuse of a 12- or 13-year-old and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He currently is incarcerated in the Iowa Medical and Classification Center at Oakdale.

Grassi was a bus driver on a Shimek Elementary School route in Iowa City at the time of his arrest. The abuse involved a relative and officials from the Iowa City school district and its bus provider, Durham School Services, have said there is no evidence Grassi harmed any student who rode his bus.

Grassi was suspended upon his arrest and eventually fired.