EVANSVILLE – Michael Crane, 24, of Evansville, Ind., was sentenced today to 14 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to the crime of failure to register as a sex offender.
According to court documents, on December 1, 2017, Crane was convicted of felony aggravated criminal sexual abuse and felony indecent solicitation of a child in Perry County, Ill. Both convictions require Crane to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
Following Crane’s release from prison on July 17, 2020, for the above sex offenses, Crane submitted his initial registration for the Illinois Sex Offender Registry by completing an Illinois Sex Offender Registration Act form. Crane provided an address in DuQuoin, Illinois on his registration form. The form contains several paragraphs advising him of the duty to register, including the following: “If you move to another state, you must register within 3 days. You must notify the agency with whom you last registered in person of your new address, at least 3 days before moving.” Crane acknowledged this requirement by initialing next to it and signing the form.
In June 2021, Crane relocated to Evansville, Indiana. Crane failed to register with the state of Indiana or update his Illinois registration. Crane was arrested in Evansville on July 29, 2021.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana and Joseph “Dan” McClain, U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Indiana made the announcement.
The U.S. Marshals Service investigated the case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Richard L. Young. As part of the sentence, Judge Young ordered that Crane be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for three years following his release from federal prison. Crane must also register as a sex offender wherever he lives, works, or goes to school, as required by law.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Miller who is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.