Indiana State Police Troopers arrested a Salem man on Tuesday for 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.
