Central Texas substitute teacher who sexually assaulted two Pre-K students in his classroom sentenced to prison
WACO, Texas (KWTX) - A former teacher at Lorena Primary School who sexually abused two pre-K students in his classroom in 2021 was sentenced to 40 years in prison Thursday.
Nicolas Scott Crenshaw, 28, pleaded guilty to five counts of aggravated sexual assault of a young child, one count of continuous sexual abuse of a young child, and indecency with a child by contact in the sexual abuse of a 5-year-old girl and a 4-year-old girl he taught.
Judge Susan Kelly accepted the plea bargain between prosecutors and Crenshaw, and sentenced him to 40 years in prison on Counts 1-6 and 20 years in prison on Count 7. Crenshaw will serve the sentences concurrently, and must serve the full 40 years before he can be released, officials said.
Crenshaw was fired from his job as a long-term substitute teacher after his arrest in May 2021. He has remained jailed since his arrest.
When the judge asked Crenshaw how he pleaded, Crenshaw said, “Guilty?” as if he were unsure of what his response should be and then started laughing.
His apparent cavalier attitude about the proceedings infuriated the parents of the girls and a group of their friends who came to court Thursday. Crenshaw remained in jail and entered his plea remotely.
His attorney, Melanie Walker, declined comment after the hearing.
Prosecutor Will Hix said Crenshaw committed “repeated and unspeakable evil against two of the most vulnerable and innocent persons in our community.”
“He is the definition of a predator hiding among those who chose to look the other way,” Hix said. “There is no question that this prison sentence of 40 years without the possibility of parole will remove this threat from our county. After hearing the pain described by the families he made victims of today, I am convinced he deserves every minute of every day he will serve.”
The mother of one of the girls and the parents of the second girl gave emotional victim-impact statements from the courtroom while seated at the counsel table so Crenshaw could see them on the remote broadcast.
One mother said she prayed for strength to get through the statement and said she might be able to forgive Crenshaw on her “death bed.”
“There’s a special place in hell for you,” she said. “What you are is evil, so evil. These kids placed their trust in you and you betrayed them.”
The father said Crenshaw started grooming his daughter for abuse when she was just 4, destroying her innocence and causing her to have “horrific nightmares.” He said that while other kids were looking forward to going to school and making new friends, his daughter was repelled at the mention of school.
The girl’s mother said it was unimaginable that such an environment of abuse could exist in a school full of teachers and administrators who are required to report suspicions of physical or sexual abuse. “It was a systemic failure by the school district,” she said.
She said she only agreed to approve of the plea bargain because she promised her daughter she would never have to see Crenshaw again and to keep her from having to testify.
Monica Beck, an attorney from Traverse City, Mich., who represents the family of one of the girls, said Crenshaw’s abuse of her client was “heinous.”
“Crenshaw caused my client and her family indescribable pain and suffering and trauma,” she said. “It is solely because of the courage of my client and a school mate, children just out of toddlerhood, that Crenshaw is now behind bars. While this criminal chapter is closed for the family, the question remains as to how Crenshaw’s sexual abuse of two little girls was ever permitted to happen inside of the school during a school day. The question now is where were the adults in the room when this was happening?”
Lorena Superintendent Joe Kucera said in a statement after Crenshaw’s indictment in August 2021 that Crenshaw was not allowed to return to campus and was terminated.
“The District has fully cooperated with law enforcement and will continue to cooperate throughout the legal process. The safety and security of our students remains our highest priority in Lorena ISD.”
The 4-year-old girl’s father reported to Lorena police that his family was eating dinner when his daughter, “without provocation,” said, “Mr. Nic put his hand down my panties,” according to arrest records.
The girl said Crenshaw came to her mat during nap time and started to pat her on the back to help her sleep. That was when he put his hand down her panties, records indicate.
An affidavit said Crenshaw was photographed lying on the floor with a pre-K student “crawling and laying on top of him.” The incident was reported to school officials, according to an affidavit.
Crenshaw confessed to touching the girl’s genitals and admitted he became sexually aroused when a 5-year-old girl sat on his lap, arrest records allege.
Copyright 2023 KWTX. All rights reserved.
