Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Sandra Yi and Samantha Hayes ReportingPolice have arrested a convicted sex offender who ran a concert hall in West Valley City. Police say he had sex with a 16-year old girl, and there could be more victims.
The suspect runs The House in West Valley City, at about 3500 South 1500 West. It's popular with teenagers, and police say that's how he met his victim.
The 16-year old passed out fliers, promoting concerts at the House. She told police she had sex with the suspect on three different occasions.
The suspect, 36-year old Robert Baugh, is a convicted sex offender who served time in prison for unlawful sexual activity with a 14-year old girl in St. George. That was in 1998. Police call him a sexual predator.
Capt. Tom McLachan, West Valley City Police Dept.: "There's a possibility he would run this type of business to attract that age group. Like I say, we're not exactly positive yet, but we're still identifying other young ladies of the same age."
Police also say they served a search warrant at Baugh's Salt Lake City home and confiscated his computer. Police say he took indecent photos of girls and may have posted those on a web site.
Robert Baugh is on the sex offender registry, but he has not updated his address, as required by law. He now faces charges related to that, as well as rape and sodomy.
Jack Ford with the Department of Corrections says new laws going into place will make it much more difficult for sex offenders to go unnoticed.
Jack Ford/ Department of Corrections: "Registered sex offenders will have to have a one year driver's license, renewable every year, and it will expire each year."
Police do believe there are more victims out there. If you have any information, you are asked to call police.
The 16-year old's mother believes there are probably more victims, as well, and she is urging them to come forward and get help.
The victim's mother says Baugh used friendship to get close to her young daughter.
Mother of victim: "Angry, very angry, that he preyed on our emotions for our daughter's welfare, that we began to trust who he was and what he was."
She advises parents to trust their gut instinct, something she ignored.
Mother of victim: "I'm not going to be so quick to dismiss the gut instinct I had that something was going on, something fishy."
Apparently her gut feeling was right.
Mother of victim: "I was numb. I'm not one of those people who checks the sex offender registry."
