A Fairfield High School industrial arts teacher accused of grooming a student has pleaded guilty to two charges, avoiding the jury trial that had been scheduled for September 15th, according to Jefferson County court records.
Vannen Crabtree Jr., 58, of Richland entered a written guilty plea on September 10th to Count I — Grooming, a Class D Felony — and Count II — Sexual Exploitation by a School Employee, which was reduced from a Class D Felony to an Aggravated Misdemeanor as part of the plea agreement. The court accepted the plea on September 11th.
As Ottumwa Radio previously reported, Crabtree was arrested on February 5th, 2026 following a Fairfield Police Department investigation into allegations of inappropriate contact with a juvenile student at Fairfield High School via social media. A third charge — Lascivious Acts with a Minor, an Aggravated Misdemeanor — was dropped in August due to a lack of evidence.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, the state will argue for consecutive imposed sentences on both counts. Jefferson County Attorney Chauncey Moulding confirmed the state will be seeking the maximum combined sentence of seven years and will present evidence at the sentencing hearing to support that position. Crabtree is expected to seek a five-year sentence. Because the offenses are charged under Iowa Code Chapter 709 and Crabtree was a mandatory reporter, suspended sentences are unlawful and an imposed prison sentence is mandatory.
Following the completion of his sentence, Crabtree will be required to register as a sex offender and will be subject to a 10-year special sentence. A no-contact order with the victim will also be issued at sentencing.
A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for November 9th, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. at the Jefferson County District Court in Fairfield. A presentence investigation will be completed prior to sentencing. The amount of restitution has yet to be determined.
