BENTON, Ill. (WJPF) – A former employee of an area special education school has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for attempting to have a sexual relationship with a child.
According to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Jon Crawford, 45, of Pinckneyville, worked as a paraprofessional at the Tri-County Special Education Center in Murphysboro. He pleaded guilty to one count of attempted enticement of a minor and one count of solicitation of child pornography.
Federal prosecutors say that in April 2023 an agent with Homeland Security Investigations conducted an undercover operation online and created an account for a purported 13-year-old child. Law enforcement began speaking with Jon Crawford online, and Crawford asked for photos and videos of sexual acts from the purported 13-year-old child.
