Pictured Above: Shane Norman Crawford. Source: Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

Shane Norman Crawford, a Laguna Hills school bus driver, is in custody on suspicion of lewd and lascivious acts against three children. Allegedly, Crawford took three children under 14-years-old to his apartment after earning the trust of their parents. He then committed lewd acts on the children. One child’s grandmother found out what happened and reported Crawford to authorities. Although Crawford did not meet these children through his job, authorities are worried that there are other victims because of his proximity to children because of his job.

Sexual assault of a child under 14-years-old can be referred to as lewd or lascivious conduct. Being convicted of this type of assault comes with prison time. The amount of time in prison is dependent on the harm caused, the age of the child, the facts of the case, and the defendant’s prior history. In addition, the defendant will have to register as a sex offender which can affect that person’s career and/or reputation. The defendant will also likely have to go through psychological treatment or behavioral therapy. If you are convicted of sexual assault, contact an experienced criminal defense attorney right away to assist you. Common defenses to sexual offenses include false accusations, mistake/accident, lack of intent.