A woman from Hardin appeared in court today, facing charges related to sex trafficking a minor. According to U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme, the defendant, Veronica Clarice Baker, 29, pleaded not guilty to one count of sex trafficking of a minor.
If convicted, Baker could face a sentence ranging from a mandatory minimum of 10 years to a maximum of life imprisonment, in addition to a $250,000 fine and a supervised release period of five years to life.
The arraignment was overseen by U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy Cavan. Baker is being detained as the judicial proceedings continue.
The indictment against Baker alleges that she engaged in multiple activities, including recruiting, enticing, and advertising a minor, identified as Jane Doe 1, for a commercial sex act in Billings, as early as August 2022. The indictment claims Baker knew or recklessly disregarded the fact that Jane Doe 1 was under 18.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno Baucus is in charge of prosecuting the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006. The program aims to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse by using federal, state, and local resources to track, charge, and prosecute those who exploit minors, as well as to identify and rescue victims. More information on Project Safe Childhood can be found at Justice.gov/PSC.
It's important to note that the charges are accusations, and the defendant is considered innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case is referenced under PACER 25-43. Case developments can be tracked via the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To review documents, individuals must set up a PACER account at http://www.pacer.gov/register.html and can access the District Court’s calendar at https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.