WALLACE — A Kingston man has been charged with numerous sex crimes, including rape and lewd and lascivious conduct with a child under the age of 16. 

Samuel Baugh, 42, was arrested on Monday after the Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office was notified by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare of a possible sexual abuse case where one of the potential victims was residing in Las Vegas while another may still be in Shoshone County.   

Deputy Eric Bowman contacted the Las Vegas police requesting assistance with an interview with the potential victim, age 19, who had relocated to the area as part of a mission through their church. 

Both victims’ interviews were documented in the probable cause affidavit.

During his first appearance in court Thursday, Shoshone County Deputy Prosecutor Britney Jacobs requested that, due to the nature of the accusations and the potential penalties of those accusations, Baugh’s bond be set at $300,000.  

Brianna Espeland, Baugh’s court-appointed attorney, argued against such a high bond amount, citing the accused’s age, church involvement and financial struggles as reasons to keep the amount low.  

“He is 42 years old. He has never been in trouble before,” Espeland said. “He is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; he attends church every Sunday at the ward in Pinehurst. He has been pretty cooperative. My client is unlikely to be able to post a bail at all because he is so financially strained that even a $10,000 bond is not one he’d be able to post.”  

Ultimately, Magistrate Keisha Oxendine sided with Jacobs, who had concerns over Baugh fleeing because he now had nowhere to go due to a no-contact order Oxendine imposed as part of Baugh’s conditions of release. 

Capt. Seth Green with the SCSO said that cases like these are not uncommon, where the accused has a relatively clean record, but years of abuse are later uncovered. 

Baugh faces potential maximum sentences of life in prison for both the rape and the lewd conduct charges.  

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence or sexual abuse, contact the Shoshone County Crisis and Resource Center at (208) 556-0500, or visit their website at www.sccrcenter.org. You can also reach Safe Passage 24/7 by calling 208-664-9303 or texting 208-449-7228.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE** In the original online and print article, Trish Espeland was misidentified as her relative Brianna Espeland. We apologize for this mix-up.