Plane Landing. Source: Unsplash Justin Baker, 41, of Claremont, California, was convicted Wednesday of abusive sexual contact aboard an Alaska Air
Justin Baker, 41, of Claremont, California, was convicted Wednesday of abusive sexual contact aboard an Alaska Airlines flight from Burbank to Seattle. The jury reached the guilty verdict after only 90 minutes of deliberation following a three-day trial.
According to court records and trial testimony, Baker was seated in the middle seat of the plane next to an 18-year-old woman who was traveling to college. Baker initiated conversation with the victim, learning her age and showing her sexually explicit content on his phone.
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He then proceeded to grope her leg, genitals, and breast under the guise of a jacket draped over their laps, despite her repeated protests and attempts to move away. As she tried to get up to notify the flight crew, he also groped her buttocks.
Prosecutors presented evidence of a similar incident from 2004, where Baker, then a youth pastor, molested a 15-year-old girl. This testimony demonstrated a pattern of predatory behavior.
Baker was initially arrested upon the plane’s arrival in Seattle on March 14, 2024, and was taken into custody again immediately after the verdict. U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour scheduled sentencing for January 21, 2025. Baker faces up to two years in prison for the abusive sexual contact conviction.
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The case was investigated by the FBI and the Port of Seattle Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Kristine Foerster and Grace Zoller prosecuted the case.
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