Jim Schultz

Record Searchlight

The pastor of a Redding church is in Shasta County Jail with his bail set at $1 million after he was arrested late last week for allegedly molesting three girls over seven years.

Fifty-five-year-old James Gladwell Crawford, the pastor at Westside Church of Redding off Swasey Drive, is charged with 31 criminal counts, including 22 felony counts of lewd and lascivious conduct with a child, a series of sex crime-related enhancements, and nine misdemeanors.

Although there was no sexual intercourse involved in the alleged crimes, Crawford is accused of inappropriately touching the girls, who are now 17, 16 and 11, and that he engaged in other inappropriate behavior, Shasta County Deputy District Attorney Patricia Van Ert said Friday.

Crawford pleaded not guilty to the charges during his Monday arraignment. He faces life in prison if convicted of the criminal counts at trial, Van Ert said.

Crawford was arrested Feb. 3 by Shasta County sheriff's deputies and investigators after the alleged molestations were reported.

Dozens of congregation members attended court on Friday to support him.

Redding defense attorney Aaron Williams, who represents Crawford, sought to have him released from jail without bail, arguing he does not pose a danger to the public, is not a flight risk due to his ties to the community and would comply with any court restrictions applied to his release.

"He is the ideal candidate to be released on his own recognizance," Williams said.

But Superior Court Judge Cara Beatty, who acknowledged she has read numerous letters of support from people who back Crawford, denied the request for now, but said she would be willing to reconsider it once he has had his preliminary hearing. That hearing is tentatively set for Feb. 28.

Williams said after court that he has not yet received all the discovery evidence from prosecutors, but believes Crawford's bail is much too high.

"I can't believe his bail is $1 million," he said.

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