SOUTHERN IN. – On Tuesday, March 26, Indiana State Police Troopers arrested a Salem man on charges of child molestation and several related felony charges in two Southern Indiana counties.
The investigation began in February 2024 when a Washington County school system resource officer contacted Detective Travis Baker and advised a child in the school had possibly been molested by an adult male. Detective Baker immediately began an investigation, which included a sexual assault forensic examination at a local hospital. The investigation also included a forensic interview conducted at a local child advocacy center in conjunction with a caseworker with the Indiana Department of Child Services.
As a result of the investigation, Detective Baker believed illegal contact occurred between the child and the adult male, 32-year-old James Crawford Jr. of Salem, in both Washington and Clark Counties over a period spanning several months.
After the initial investigation, Detective Baker requested arrest warrants for James Crawford Jr. for the following charges:
Washington County:
- Child Molesting – Level 1 Felony, two counts.
- Child Molesting – Level 4 Felony, one count.
- Tattooing a Minor – Class A Misdemeanor, one count.
Clark County:
- Child Seduction – Level 4 Felony, one count.
- Sexual Misconduct with a Minor – Level 4 Felony, one count.
- Child Solicitation – Level 4 Felony, one count.
Troopers served both warrants on Tuesday at the Washington County Jail, where James Crawford Jr. is incarcerated on unrelated charges. Crawford is being held without bond in Washington County and has a $50,000 cash-only bond on the Clark County charges.
