Acquitted Former Mayor Seeks Return to Normalcy

The former mayor of Oelwein, now acquitted a second time for a sexual abuse charge, is looking for his life to get back to normal.

After several hours of deliberation Friday, a Bremer County jury came back with a verdict of not-guilty of a second degree sexual abuse charge against Jason Manus.

Manus was arrested last year on charges of second and third degree sexual abuse, in connection with incidents that allegedly happened a couple of years ago in his Oelwein home, involving a 14 year old girl and a girl who was between 6 and 9 years old.

Manus resigned as Oelwein's mayor days after his arrest; he had held the office for less than 8 months.

In May, a jury in Chickasaw County acquitted Manus of a third degree sex abuse charge involving the teenage girl, but was deadlocked on the second degree charge.

A retrial on that charge was also moved from Fayette County, to Bremer County District Court in Waverly. Manus took the stand in his own defense last week, along with his wife and daughter.

On Friday, the jury came back with a verdict of not-guilty.

Manus says it's going to take a long time to get back to a normal life.