Justin Charles Baker, Violating Federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, West Virginia 2023

Grimy Times Exclusive: Local Man Charged with Violating Federal Sex Offender Registration Act

BECKLEY, W.Va. – In a shocking turn of events, Justin Charles Baker, 35, of Smoot, West Virginia, pleaded guilty to violating the federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) on February 7, 2023.

According to court documents, Baker was required to comply with the provisions of SORNA due to his conviction for sexual battery in North Carolina on July 19, 2021. Instead, he traveled from Covington, Virginia, to the area of Smoot, West Virginia, where he resided and worked from August 2022 until November 29, 2022, without registering as a sex offender in West Virginia.

Baker’s failure to register as a sex offender in West Virginia is a serious offense, and he now faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Baker is scheduled to be sentenced on June 9, 2023.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia commended the investigative work of the United States Marshals Service (USMS) in bringing Baker to justice.

Justin Charles Baker, a 35-year-old man from Smoot, West Virginia, has pleaded guilty to violating the federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). Baker’s conviction stems from his failure to register as a sex offender in West Virginia after traveling from Covington, Virginia, to the area of Smoot, West Virginia, where he resided and worked from August 2022 until November 29, 2022.

The Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 and provides a comprehensive set of minimum standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States. SORNA aims to strengthen the nationwide network of sex offender registration and notification programs by requiring registered sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction in which they reside, work, or go to school.

Baker’s guilty plea is a significant step towards holding perpetrators accountable for their crimes. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that those who violate federal laws are brought to justice.

Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is prosecuting the case, and United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing.

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