A former Jefferson County municipal prosecuting attorney is accused of having sexual contact last year with a woman who was the defendant in several cases he was prosecuting, according to a federal grand jury indictment. The attorney also is accused of lying to the FBI about his encounter with the victim, the U.S. District Attorney’s Office said in a written statement announcing the indictment.
James Isaac “Ike” Crabtree, 39, was indicted April 20 for one count of deprivation of rights under color of law and one count of false statements to the FBI. The indictments stem from a March 8, 2021, incident and a March 3 interview with federal agents about the incident, the U.S. District Attorney’s Office said.
“We want to make sure it is clear he is not charged with sexual assault, and there is absolutely no sexual assault here,” said Crabtree’s lawyer, Matthew Radefield, a partner at Frank, Juengel and Radefield in St. Louis. “There are a lot of other details that have yet to be brought to light in regard to the incident.”
The indictment alleges Crabtree met with the woman after regular business hours in his Jefferson County Justice Center office, 400 First St. He then allegedly had sexual contact with the woman while acting in his role as a municipal prosecutor.
About a month after that incident, Crabtree allegedly lied to FBI agents during an interview, denying he kissed and touched the victim and had her take off a portion of her clothing during the meeting, the indictment said.
Crabtree appeared in court on April 21 and pleaded not guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nannette A. Baker. The judge released Crabtree on his own recognizance, but Crabtree had to surrender his passport and is required to wear a location monitoring device and adhere to a curfew, according to court documents.
Jefferson County Counselor Wes Yates III said Crabtree resigned his municipal prosecuting attorney position March 15. He was being paid $81,226.92 when he left the municipal attorney’s office, and he had worked for the county as a municipal prosecuting attorney since Feb. 23, 2015.
"The United States Attorney’s Office appreciates the courage shown by the female victim in this case to come forward and bring this defendant’s alleged criminal conduct to light,” said assistant U.S. attorney Hal Goldsmith, who is handling the case.
Radefield said he is not aware of any prior complaints field against Crabtree in his role as a prosecutor.
“This is an upsetting situation for Isaac and his family,” Radefield said. “He is being supported by his loved ones and hoping to get through this.”
The Jefferson County Municipal Prosecuting Attorney’s Office is separate from the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, which is located in the Jefferson County Courthouse at 300 Main St.