News

November 13, 2009

Area man charged in sex case

Lewis E. Crawley had been the subject of a protection-from-abuse order and probation, records show.

By Edward Lewis elewis@timesleader.com
Staff Writer
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HAZLETON – Police arrested a city man on Wednesday on charges he forced his way into a residence and sexually assaulted a woman.

Lewis E. Crawley, 41, of East First Street, was charged with burglary, aggravated indecent assault, simple assault, terroristic threats, corruption of minors, criminal mischief and harassment. He was arraigned by District Judge Daniel O’Donnell in Sugarloaf and remained jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $50,000 bail on Thursday.

Police said there were five children – ages 1 through 6 – in the residence when Crawley allegedly assaulted the woman on Nov. 7.

According to the criminal complaint:

A woman told police Crawley contacted her at about 11 p.m. Nov. 6 saying he was going to come over. The woman told Crawley to stay away.

The woman was in a bedroom with the children when she heard a loud noise at about 2 a.m. Nov. 7. She said she ran downstairs and saw Crawley standing in the kitchen.

Police said that Crawley forced open the rear door and damaged the door frame.

The woman told police that after Crawley yelled at her she ran upstairs and laid on the bed with one of the children. Crawley chased the woman, pulled her off the bed by her ankles and shoved her against a crib where he sexually assaulted her, the criminal complaint says.

Police said a 1-year-old who was sleeping in the crib was awakened.

A child who was sleeping on the bed was also awakened and threw a toy at Crawley, who allegedly forced the woman into another bedroom.

The woman said she ran downstairs and was prevented from calling police when Crawley ripped the telephone from the wall, according to the complaint.

She fled the house and sought help from a neighbor, police said.

According to Luzerne County court records, the woman obtained a protection-from-abuse order against Crawley in April. Crawley was ordered by a county judge to “refrain from abusing” the woman, according to the PFA order.

Crawley was sentenced in August to six months in the county’s accelerated rehabilitation program, a special probationary program, after he pleaded guilty to stealing a credit card from woman at a doctor’s office in Hazleton, according to arrest and court records.

A preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled on Nov. 18 before District Judge Joseph Zola in Hazleton.

Edward Lewis, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 829-7196.

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