Former manager of downtown IC cookie shop sentenced after reportedly fondling employee

Lang
12/2/22

The former manager of a downtown Iowa City cookie shop has been sentenced after reportedly fondling an employee.

According to arrest records, a new employee was called into the basement of Insomnia Cookies on East Washington Street in October of last year for orientation. Then-Insomnia Cookies general manager Grant Hill of Keota allegedly had the man watch videos on a laptop. While the alleged victim had the computer on his lap, Hill allegedly grabbed the man’s penis in an unwanted advance.

A second incident allegedly occurred later that night as the new employee was being trained by Hill in the kitchen. Hill allegedly pointed at the man’s penis multiple times while saying “pee-pee” in what police describe as a “toddler-type voice”.   Police say he then grabbed the man’s penis without consent.  Surveillance video corroborates the man’s story.

Hill was charged with two counts of 3rd Degree Sexual Abuse. If convicted on both counts, he would have faced a maximum of 20 years in prison.

On Friday, Hill pleaded guilty to a charge of Assault With Intent to Commit Sexual Abuse and was sentenced to two years in jail. He must also register as a sex offender for ten years upon his release.
The two previous charges were dropped.

Hill also pleaded guilty on Friday to charges that he exposed himself to a 13-year-old boy at The Quarters on Highway 6 East. A sentencing date in that case has not yet been set.

And Hill has a case management conference on Monday in another case in which he’s accused of recording himself and another motorist while he was masturbating in his car as the two were stopped at a red light in Coralville.