Wauconda sex offender sentenced to probation for soliciting teen

A Wauconda man registered as a sex offender admitted Monday he tried to solicit a sexual favor from a 14-year-old girl, but he will not return to prison as part of a plea bargain.

Jimmie I. Crawford, 40, instead was placed on 18 months nonreporting probation and fined $500 as part of a deal in which he pleaded guilty to attempted indecent solicitation of a minor. The agreement also included a 180-day sentence in the McHenry County jail, but Crawford, of the 1000 block of Grant Place, has already served that time since his arrest this summer.

Crawford initially was indicted on two counts of indecent solicitation of a minor and one count of sexual exploitation of a minor in connection with a July 20 incident in which, police said, a 14-year-old girl reported that he had exposed himself to her and asked her to perform a sex act. The incident, police said, occurred near an Island Lake-area landscaping business where Crawford once worked.

Crawford's attorney, Senior Assistant Public Defender Richard Behof, said further investigation of the allegations revealed credibility questions about the victim's account.

Nichole Owens, criminal division chief for the McHenry County state's attorney, said the decision to offer the plea bargain came after interviews with witnesses exposed several inconsistencies "which led our office to conclude we would not be able to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt as originally charged."

Crawford previously served a five-year prison term after admitting guilt to two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. He also was convicted of sexual exploitation allegations in 2006, the McHenry County Sheriff's Department said.