UPDATE: Molestation Arraignment of Bus Driver Delayed
A Laguna Hills man has been charged with inappropriately touching three children, including a 3-year-old.
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UPDATE: The arraignment scheduled for Friday has been postponed until Feb. 10.
A school bus driver who drove Saddleback Valley Unified School District students will appear in court Friday on charges of molesting three children, including a 3-year-old girl.
Shane Norman Crawford, 37, is jailed on $1 million bail. He was arrested on Dec. 21, 2011 on charges of molesting children in his Laguna Hills apartment.
Crawford is charged with five felony counts of lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14, with a sentencing enhancement allegation for sexual crimes against multiple victims. If convicted on all counts, Crawford faces a maximum sentence of life in state prison.
On Friday, Crawford is expected to enter a plea during an arraignment in Santa Ana.
According to the Orange County District Attorney, Crawford gained access to the children by befriending their parents.
He allegedly molested a 12-year-old girl, a 3-year-old girl and a 13-year-old boy between Dec. 1, 2011, and Dec. 21, 2011 at his apartment.
Crawford is alleged to have touched the buttocks, vagina and breasts of the older girl over her clothing while in his bedroom on more than one occasion.
He is also alleged to have inappropriately touched the toddler while playing with her, getting an erection when her foot grazed his crotch.
He is further accused of becoming aroused while cuddling and touching the legs of the 13-year-old boy.
Police said that the older girl reported the alleged sexual assault to her grandmother, who notified police. During the subsequent investigation, the alleged molestations of the two additional children came to light.
Crawford worked for 12 years as a bus driver for First Student Transportation, a company that provides transit services for various schools in South Orange County. However, authorities said that Crawford did not meet the three children he is alleged to have molested on the job.
The office is asking for the public's help in identifying any potential additional victims.
Anyone with additional information or who believes they may have been a victim is encouraged to call Supervising District Attorney Investigator Lou Gutierrez at (714) 347-8794.
justme
1:23 pm on Friday, January 20, 2012
omFg, what is this? like atleast one a day? WTF is wrong with these scum?
I hope the kids are ok, I hate HATE these stories and to think of what these perverted sick pointless wastes of space STOLE from each and every one of the children they affected is down right sickening. The laws are way too lenient. Death row sounds about right.
Kel8856
9:49 pm on Sunday, January 22, 2012
No kidding. This is disgusting and happens so often because they gain the trust of the family. At least one was brave enough to come forward and report it, that poor baby.