Iowa City man pleads guilty to Sexual Exploitation by School Employee

CORALVILLE, Iowa (KCRG) - An Iowa City man charged with Sexual Exploitation by a School Employee has pleaded guilty.

Joel Munzila, 22, of Iowa City, is charged with Sexual Exploitation by a School Employee,

A criminal complaint says Joel Munzila, 22, was working as a para educator in the Iowa City Community School District when he began a relationship with a student at the school he was working at.

Investigators said Munzila’s scheme to conceal the relationship involved having the student walk to a pre-determined location in a nearby neighborhood. Then he’d leave the school during the workday and pick her up. They would then drive to a residence in Coralville where they would have sex.

Then Munzila would drop her off in a neighborhood near the school so she could walk back.

The victim told law enforcement this happened about five different times over the course of one month.

The criminal complaint says Munzila denied ever having the victim with him in his car, police say surveillance video shows him picking her up just off school property during a school day.

Investigators also said a Snapchat video shows the victim riding with Munzila in his car during the middle of a school day.

Sentencing is set for April 24. Munzila has requested a deferred judgment.