Woman Avoids Prison for Sex with Boy

(Gillette, Wyoming) A 22-year-old case worker at a state mental hospital, Monique Joy Crain, was arrested after being caught having sex with a teenage boy in her car.

Yesterday, Crain was sentenced to 10 years probation. A three to 10 stretch in prison was suspended by District Judge Dan R. Price II. Crain was also fined $1,500 and ordered to enroll in sex offender therapy. End of media reporting.

The linked news source arguably provides the sketchiest coverage of criminal proceedings ever. It's not known what crime Crain was specifically charged with nor whether she took a plea or was convicted by a jury. It's unknown when the offense occurred. The age of the teen boy isn't specified nor is it known whether or not he was a ward at the unidentified state hospital.

Lastly, it's unclear whether Crain will be required to register as a sex offender. As written, it appears she only has to enroll in therapy with no requirement to complete it.

If a reader has more information on the case, please leave a comment.


[Update 8/4/08]

An updated report indicates that Crain was appropriately tearful during sentencing while her lawyer, Robert Jackson, asserted that she wasn't a sexual predator. Rather, she was in a vulnerable state because of marital difficulties and suffering the stress of just having lost a child to sudden infant death syndrome.

Before issuing the sentence, Price quizzed Crain about the findings in her pre-sentence investigation, a report that helps a judge determine what sentence is appropriate. The report showed that Crain is pregnant.

Price became visibly upset when she told him the due date is in February or March. He asked her whether she deliberately got pregnant to try to sway his decision, perhaps thinking that he would be less inclined to sentence an expectant mother to prison time.

“I have to assume it was deliberate,” Price said.

He was adamant that her pregnancy didn’t influence his decision.

It wasn’t clear who the father is. Price didn’t ask.

The judge seemed torn over how harsh of a punishment he should mete out.

“I’m not sure we have a sexual predator,” Price said. But he noted that Crain obviously had difficulty “making responsible, adult decisions.”

After suspending the sentence, Price voiced his concern.

“It’s one of those that does make the court extremely nervous,” he said of his ruling.

When Crain was arrested in March, she told police she and the teen had been having sex for several months. She had been his case worker when he was a patient at the Wyoming Behavioral Institute in Casper. According to court documents, Crain told police she had sex with the boy twice at the hospital, but disputed that claim during her sentencing.

After the boy was released from the mental hospital, she made five trips to Gillette to see him. During each trip, they had sex several times, according to court documents.

The boy told police that when he and Crain had sex, he didn’t wear a condom because she was on birth control. Most of the time, they had sex on remote, country roads. But on two occasions, Crain rented a room at the Days Inn, according to court documents.

In summary, Crain avoids jail for a conviction for second-degree sexual abuse of a minor and gets probation. Furthermore, Judge Price expressed nervousness about suspending Crain's sentence and allowing her to walk out of court.