Former Bozeman Teacher Crews Sentenced To 20 Years

Circuit Judge Elijah Smiley sentenced William R. Crews to 20 years in prison Thursday after Crews admitted having sexual contact with children while he was a teacher at Deane Bozeman School.

Assistant State Attorney Jennifer Hawkins was prepared to take Crews, 59, of 4018 Napoli Road, to trial next week, but Crews’ plea will now spare the three male victims from testifying against their former history teacher.

Hawkins told Smiley that the victims agreed to the plea.

From 2001-06, Crews took three students, at different times, to a storage unit on State 77 where he had pornographic material and a blow-up sex doll. He would engage in sexual activity with the minors there.

Crews pleaded no contest to: two counts of sexual acts with minors, three counts of lewd and lascivious molestation, four counts of lewd and lascivious exhibition and five counts of showing obscene materials to minors.

Smiley sentenced him according to the negotiated plea to the maximum sentence on the second and third degree felonies to run at the same time as a 20-year prison sentence for the first-degree felony of sexual acts with children.

He has also been designated as a sexual preditor.

Judge Smiley recommended Bay Correctional Institute in Panama City, which could be considered a “country club” prison.