Thursday, February 06, 2020

26-year-old sentenced to 10 years in prison for molesting 6-year-old child while residing on JBLM

Defendant was briefly caring for young relatives at a residence on base while his step-father was an active duty soldier

Tacoma, WA – A 26-year-old man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to ten years in prison and lifetime supervised release for abusive sexual contact of a child, announced U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran.  CHARLES EVAN CRAWFORD was 22-years-old when he sexually molested a 6-year-old child who had been left in his care, while other adults ran errands on the base.  At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Ronald B. Leighton said, “It is imperative that we in the criminal justice system offer protection and stability against future harm. I think Mr. Crawford is a threat.”

According to the stipulated facts admitted at the bench trial, the 6-year-0ld victim and other children were at the duplex on Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM) on June 16, 2016, when CRAWFORD’s mother left him in charge while she ran to the grocery store and picked up his step-father from his duty station.

During the period of time CRAWFORD was responsible for supervising the children, he took one 6-year-old child into the bathroom and molested the child.  The victim and other children reported the assault to other adults within hours of the sexual contact.  The child was forensically interviewed at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital.  The FBI and the Army Criminal Investigative Division (CID) conducted a joint investigation including the retrieval of DNA evidence.  Because the assault occurred on an area of exclusive federal jurisdiction, the case was prosecuted in federal court.

CRAWFORD was arrested on June 17, 2016, and formally charged in federal court on June 20, 2016.  CRAWFORD was convicted at a bench trial on July 8, 2019.  Following his prison term, CRAWFORD will be required to register as a sex offender.

The case was investigated by FBI and Army CID.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Grady Leupold and Marie Dalton.

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