Date: 09-12-2024

Case Style:

United States of America v. Nicholas Glenn Baker; Rexanna Marie Johnston

Case Number: 4:23-cr-00261

Judge: B. Lynn Winmill

Court: The United States District Court for the District of Idaho (Ada County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: The United States Attorney’s Office in Boise

Defendant's Attorney:

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Description:

Boise, Idaho criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with Sex Crimes Involving Minor Children
Two Idaho Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Separate Sex Crimes Involving Minor Children

On July 17, 2023, detectives with the Idaho Falls Police Department and the Idaho Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force began an investigation after receiving a report that child pornography had been uploaded to an online file storage account. Detectives determined that the account belonged to Rexanna Marie Johnston of Idaho Falls. Detectives obtained and executed a search warrant on Johnston’s residence and electronic devices. Detectives discovered that Johnston had produced images of a child pornography of an infant that was in her custody. Detectives further recovered online chat communications between Nicholas Glenn Baker, ate 37, of Twin Falls, and Nicholas Glenn Baker. In those communications Johnston and Baker discussed their sexual interests in children, and child pornography. Johnston also sent Baker child pornography images she had produced of the infant in her custody. Baker then asked for Johnston to produce additional child pornographic images of the infant and send them to him, which she did. (Johnston pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation charges on May 22, 2024, and is awaiting sentencing scheduled for November 19, 2024.) When detectives arrested Baker he admitted that he knew the infant in Johnston’s custody was a real child, that he requested Johnston produce and send him child pornography images of the infant, and that he received those images.

“Our job, as HSI special agents or in working through our many partnerships, is to protect the most vulnerable. This 288 month sentence helps to accomplish that,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “Every image of child exploitation represents a life that has been altered by a child predator, and as a community we can be ever more vigilant to reduce the amount of these images that are distributed online.”

“I am continually grateful for the hard work and partnerships that enable us to successfully investigate and prosecute these horrific crimes against children,” said Attorney General Raúl Labrador. “Removing these predators from our neighborhoods is a top priority for all of us and I’m encouraged to see the courts delivering sentences that are commensurate with the crimes.”

“We are proud of the work done in this case by Idaho Falls Police Investigators and grateful for our partnerships with the US Attorney’s Office and the ICAC Taskforce,” said Idaho Falls Police Chief Bryce Johnson. “This case underscores the important work being done through these partnerships – protecting the most vulnerable members of our communities and seeking justice on their behalf.”

Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered that Baker serve a lifetime of supervised release following his prison sentence. Baker will be required to register as a sex offender as a result of the conviction.

In a separate case, Alexis Alatriste, 27, of Nampa, was sentenced to 262 months in federal prison for sexual exploitation of a child.

According to court records, on January 5, 2024, a citizen reported to the Nampa Police Department that she had found videos on Alatriste’s cellphone of Alatriste sexually abusing the four-year-old victim. Investigators seized and examined Alatriste’s cellphone after obtaining a search warrant. Alatriste had deleted the explicit videos, but investigators recovered the videos using forensic tools. Investigators determined that Alatriste had used his cellphone to record the videos of himself sexually abusing the victim. Investigators also located other files of child pornography on the cellphone.

“This case is an excellent example of the importance of strong partnerships between local and federal agencies. Our teamwork successfully brought this case to a positive resolution, with Mr. Alatriste serving time in prison for this terrible crime. We’ll continue to work together to help protect our community,” said Nampa Police Chief Joe Huff.

U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford also ordered Alatriste to be placed on lifetime supervised release after the end of his prison term. Alatriste will be required to register as a sex offender as a result of the conviction.

The Baker case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations in Idaho Falls, the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office, the Idaho Falls Police Department, and the Idaho ICAC Task Force. The Alatriste case was investigated by the Nampa Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin Paskett and Kassandra McGrady prosecuted these cases.

These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. As part of Project Safe Childhood, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office partner to marshal federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Outcome:

Defendants were sentenced to 24 years and over 21 years in federal prison, respectively

Plaintiff's Experts:

Defendant's Experts:

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