WALLACE – A Silver Valley man who pleaded guilty in December to two sex crimes will spend the next 40 years in prison. 

Samuel Baugh Jr., 43, was sentenced to 60 years, including 40 years fixed, after pleading guilty to rape and lewd and lascivious conduct with a child under 16. 

Baugh had previously accepted a plea agreement in which the state agreed to drop four additional sex crime charges in exchange for his guilty plea. 

Both charges carry potential life sentences. Shoshone County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Britney Jacobs explained the state’s reasoning behind its sentencing recommendation. 

“Consistent with our office’s historical pattern of taking a hard stance on sex offense cases, at the sentencing hearing, the State requested a 60-year sentence with the first 40 years fixed,” Jacobs reiterated. “At the current age of 43, the defendant's fixed term will not lapse until he is 83 years old, with an indeterminate period extending until he is 103 years old. In addition, the court issued a 20-year no-contact order for all four of the victims in the case as well as their mother.” 

Judge Duggan agreed with the state’s recommendation. 

Baugh’s charges stemmed from a September arrest after the Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office was alerted by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare to a possible sexual abuse case. One of the alleged victims was living in Las Vegas, while another was believed to still be in Shoshone County. 

SCSO deputies contacted Las Vegas police for assistance in interviewing the 19-year-old potential victim, who had recently moved there for a church mission. 

Interviews with both victims, included in the probable cause affidavit, outlined years of alleged abuse. The first victim reported that Baugh began abusing them at age 5. The second victim, now 16, said they could not recall the exact age but remembered being very young when the abuse started. In both accounts, the abuse allegedly began with touching and escalated to more severe sexual acts, continuing as recently as Sept. 19. 

Jacobs and Shoshone County Prosecuting Attorney Ben Allen said this case highlights their office’s continued effort to crack down on child sex crimes and pursue stronger penalties for offenders. 

According to the Idaho Department of Correction, among the 1,461 sentences issued between 2020 and 2024 for child sex abuse crimes, the median sentence was four years fixed with eight years indeterminate, and only 70.5% of those sentences have been imposed. 

“We think that Shoshone has seen significantly harsher sentences overall in child sex offense cases compared to neighboring counties,” Jacobs said. “In this case, we consider the sentence a testament to the officers that worked to put this case together, the children who were brave enough to come forward, and our office’s dedication to prioritizing these types of cases.” 

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 www.sccrcenter.org. Safe Passage is also available 24/7 at (208) 664‑9303 or by texting (208) 449‑7228.