Former Indiana youth pastor charged with sexual abuse of teenager

A former Indiana youth pastor confessed to police that he sexually abused a 14-year-old girl in his church office for several years, court records show.

Bryan Crabtree, 35, of Sulphur Springs, is charged in Henry County District Court with sexual abuse of a minor and three counts of sexual battery of children.

Records obtained by The Roys Report (TRR) show that church leaders were made aware of the alleged sexual misconduct in an anonymous letter to Pastor Buskirk of Sulphur Springs Christian Church.

Crabtree has since been dismissed from the church, according to an eight-page affidavit dated June 26.

According to the indictment filed on June 25, the teenager told authorities that the alleged sexual abuse occurred between October 1 and January 31, 2022.

According to court documents, the abuse occurred in the church and in Crabtree’s home.

Crabtree, also a cross-country coach and substitute teacher at Shenandoah High School, met the teenager when she was a freshman and was her track coach, court records show.

Investigators say the former youth pastor began sending the 14-year-old student nude photos and videos and encouraged her to do the same. Crabtree also created “to-do lists” for her that asked her to send him “images/videos of a sexual nature.”

The abuse later escalated to sexual abuse, the affidavit states.

The teenager provided copies of the text messages confirming the “to-do lists,” the affidavit states.

The victim refused to have sex with Crabtree, but the former youth pastor told police he would have had sex with the teen if she had offered, court records show.

After the confrontation with police, Crabtree told investigators in Indiana he knew his behavior would become known, saying, “He knew it would come out eventually,” the affidavit states. He also reportedly said he “knew it was wrong, but he was attracted to her and didn’t stop it.”

Crabtree said he was attracted to the teenager because “she was beautiful” and he and his wife had “no intimacy” and he needed someone “to talk to or confide in,” the affidavit states.

The alleged sexual abuse continued until the teenager entered college.

Crabtree’s is scheduled to appear in court again on July 1, according to online records.

According to court documents, additional charges may be brought against Crabtree.

Sheila Stogsdill is a freelance print journalist and digital reporter who primarily covers crime issues for KSN/KODE.