ST. LOUIS – A federal grand jury indicted a former Jefferson County municipal prosecuting attorney on Wednesday for sexual misconduct involving a woman who was a defendant in several cases under his jurisdiction.
According to prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, James “Ike” Crabtree was charged with one count of deprivation of rights under color of law and another count of making false statements to the FBI.
The indictment alleges that on March 8, 2021, Crabtree had a woman in his courthouse office after normal business hours. The woman was a defendant in multiple cases being prosecuted by Crabtree.
During the meeting, Crabtree is accused of kissing and touching the woman without her permission, and that he had her take of a portion of her clothing as well. This would be a violation of the woman’s due process, including her right to bodily integrity.
Federal prosecutors say Crabtree lied to FBI agents during a March 2022 interview about the allegations.
Crabtree resigned in March 2022 as a result of the investigation.
