Prosecutors have dropped one of three charges against a Fairfield High School industrial arts teacher accused of grooming a student.
Jefferson County Attorney Chauncey Moulding filed a motion to dismiss without prejudice the charge of Lascivious Acts with a Minor, an aggravated misdemeanor, against Vannen Crabtree Jr., 57, of Richland. Court records indicate the charge was dropped due to a lack of evidence. The remaining two charges — Sexual Exploitation by a School Employee and Grooming, both Class D Felonies — will proceed to jury trial.
A jury trial is set for September 15th at 9:00 a.m., with a pretrial conference scheduled for September 8th at 9:45 a.m.
As Ottumwa Radio previously reported, Crabtree was arrested on February 5th, 2026 following an investigation into allegations of inappropriate contact with a juvenile student at Fairfield High School via social media.
