Man jailed on child sex abuse charge, stalking

SANDPOINT — A Sandpoint man was arrested Thursday for allegedly soliciting a sex act from a 5-year-old girl and stalking her after he made the proposition.

Gary Wade Baughn was ordered held Friday in lieu of $100,000 bail. Baughn is prohibited by court order of having any contact with the alleged victim or the child’s mother.

Baughn, 50, is charged with sexual abuse of a minor by solicitation and stalking in the first degree. Baughn, according to Sandpoint Police, approached the girl on a bicycle on Sept. 29, exposed himself and asked her to touch his genitalia. He later returned the girl’s home intending to expose himself again.

The child’s mother saw the man and took his photograph as he left the scene on foot, probable cause hearing testimony indicates.

When confronted about the allegations by police, Baughn allegedly confessed to asking the girl to touch him and to exposing himself to other kids and adults on eight to 10 occasions in the last year, court records.

“We may have multiple victims here,” Sandpoint Police Chief Mark Lockwood said following Baughn’s arrest on Thursday.

Baughn’s alleged misconduct has been mistakenly to a violent sexual predator from California who recently took up residence in Sandpoint. Lockwood said Baughn’s activities preceded Kenneth Kaston Rasmuson’s relocation to Sandpoint.