A former Chicago Public Schools dean has been sentenced to 22 years in prison, after he was convicted of repeatedly sexually assaulting a Little Village Lawndale High School student.

Last month, a Cook County jury found 43-year-old Brian Crowder guilty of one count of aggravated criminal sexual assault, two counts of criminal sexual assault, and one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. He was found not guilty on three other sexual assault charges.

On Tuesday, a judge sentenced Crowder to a total of 22 years in prison – 12 years for aggravated criminal sexual assault, 5 years for criminal sexual assault, and 5 years for aggravated criminal sexual abuse, with the sentences to be served consecutively.

His victim, now a 26-year-old woman, told CBS News Chicago in 2024 that Crowder sexually abused her from 2013 to 2016 while he was dean of the Greater Lawndale School for Social Justice, a part of Little Village Lawndale High School.

The young woman said she lived in silence for years – fearing what Crowder might do. She said when she did tell a teacher, nothing was done.

"It took a lot from me. … I don't know, I just felt like I couldn't have a normal life," said the woman, who CBS News Chicago is identifying only as Jane Doe, because she is a sexual assault victim.

The young woman said her youth and high school years essentially were stripped away from her.

"I didn't really get to experience high school how I wanted to," she said. "I didn't do a lot of the stuff that I wanted to do because of it."

The woman also has filed a civil lawsuit against Crowder, the Chicago Public Schools, and the Chicago Board of Education, accusing the school district of failing to protect her from Crowder's abuse.

"The system here failed her twice," Doe's attorney, Martin Gould said after filing the lawsuit last year. "It failed her because the dean was preying on her and sexually abused her, but it also failed her because she did go to a teacher – who didn't report it."

The woman's attorneys said she came forward about the abuse after Crowder twice got her pregnant and she had abortions. Her attorneys said she told a teacher about the abuse, but her claims were never reported to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.

"Had the teacher done what she was required to do by the law, perhaps some of the pain Jane Doe went through could have ended much earlier," said Gould.

Crowder was removed from his teaching position in 2021 after the district's inspector general launched an investigation, and he was placed on the CPS do-not-hire list.

CPS has declined to comment on the allegations in this case, citing the ongoing lawsuit.

"Chicago Public Schools (CPS) prioritizes the safety and well-being of our students. We take seriously our responsibility to ensure all employees act in the best interest of our students. The District does not comment on pending investigations or litigation. Our CPS team follows District policies and procedures as we respond to issues," the district said in a statement last year.