Three commonly confused crimes are aiding, abetting, and being an accessory to a crime. Aiding involves supporting, helping, or providing assistance to another person in committing a crime. Abetting involves encouraging or inducing another person to commit a crime. Many people use aiding and abetting as a term to describe one specific action. Accessories to crimes are those who perform any of the acts listed above to support a principal offender in their commission of a misdemeanor or felony crime.