A former Mississippi State University department head accused of sexual battery against a 21-year-old female student will not be prosecuted.
The charge against Milo Crabtree, 49, who until July was the director of procurement and contracts, will also be expunged, based on a hearing Thursday in Starkville Municipal Court.
The victim signed a nolle prose form, which means she agreed that the case would not go forward, said Charles Yoste, Crabtree’s attorney.
Municipal prosecutor Roy Carpenter said the charges were not prosecuted at the victim’s request but had no further comment.
Yoste said the victim had discussed the case with Carpenter, who he provided with material including cell phone calls and e-mails between Crabtree and his accuser.
“There were three witnesses that came forward since then … about previous false allegations by the victim,” Yoste added, clarifying that the allegations were sexual.
The accuser, a senior who had worked as a receptionist in Crabtree’s office for six months before the alleged sexual contact, had no comment, a friend who answered the door of her Cotton District apartment said Thursday.
The charge against Crabtree was filed July 21. In the police report, the accuser alleged that Crabtree, who appeared intoxicated, came to her apartment and told her he’d fire her if she refused to have sex with him.
Crabtree remained at her apartment for two hours, during which she performed a sex act on him, then he performed a sex act on her, she said.
Crabtree said sexual contact occurred, but it was consensual, Yoste said in July. He also said he was not intoxicated.
Yoste said Crabtree, who was placed on administrative leave without pay after the incident, will not try to get his job back and has moved to Jackson.
University spokeswoman Maridith Geuder said that the university doesn’t think it’s appropriate to comment because “at this point the university wouldn’t be involved in the judicial process.”
Crabtree’s wife sat with him in the courtroom Thursday afternoon. When he left the courtroom, Crabtree went directly to his son, an MSU football player, and enveloped him in a hug.
Crabtree did not want to comment, but Yoste said, “We’re glad that Mr. Crabtree can put this behind him. From day one we denied that he was guilty.”