Appeals court affirms sentences

SANDPOINT - The Idaho Court of Appeals is affirming sentences handed down to a Washington state man accused of impregnating a 12-year-old Bonner County girl.

James Henry Crumble was convicted of engaging in lewd conduct with a minor and burglary in an unrelated case. District Judge Steve Verby sentenced Crumble in 2006 to 20 years to life on the lewd conduct charge and five to 10 years on the burglary charge.

The burglary sentence is being served concurrently with the lewd conduct sentence. Crumble has to serve 20 years before becoming eligible for parole.

Crumble appealed the sentences, contending they were excessive.

The appeals court, however, found that the district court did not abuse its discretion in imposing the sentences, according to an unpublished opinion released on Oct. 28.

Crumble, 52-year-old former resident of Newport, was originally charged with statutory rape for having sex with the girl during a five-month period in 2005. That charge was ultimately amended to lewd conduct during plea negotiations with the state.

Crumble was also charged with burglarizing a Laclede homeowner's garage.

Aggravating factors cited during Crumble's sentencing hearing included an incident where he fondled a minor in Houston, Texas, in the 1980s. Crumble also had a lengthy string of prior felony and misdemeanor convictions.

Crumble is eligible for parole in 2025, Idaho Department of Correction records indicate.