United States of America v. Jon P. Crawford

East St. Louis, Illinois criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with Attempting to Entice a Minor.

A district judge sentenced a former paraprofessional at Tri-County Special Education Center in Murphysboro to spend 10 years in federal prison for attempted sex crimes against a minor.



Jon P. Crawford, 45, of Pinckneyville, pleaded guilty to one count of attempted enticement of a minor and one count of solicitation of child pornography.



"Convicting school employees of sex crimes against minors furthers our mission to keep vulnerable children protected from harm,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. "The U.S. Attorney's Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold criminals accountable.”



According to court documents, an agent with Homeland Security Investigations conducted an undercover operation online and created an account for a purported 13-year-old child in April 2023. Law enforcement began speaking with Crawford online, and he asked for photos and videos of sexual acts from the purported 13-year-old child.



"Individuals who prey on children, especially those in positions of public trust, should expect to be held fully accountable for their actions,” said HSI Chicago Special Agent in Charge Sean Fitzgerald. "I commend the prosecutors and agents who worked to ensure that this offender is off our streets and away from children in our communities.”



HSI led the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey Bloodworth prosecuted the case.



This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

Defendant was found guilty and sentenced to 10 years in federal prison