Salt Lake man arrested after girl reports sexual contact

The owner of a West Valley concert hall for young bands has been arrested for allegedly having sexual relations with a 16-year-old girl.

The man has already served prison time for having unlawful sexual activity with a 14-year-old girl in St. George nearly a decade ago, but police say he failed to notify authorities with the state sex offender registry when he moved to Salt Lake City.

Now investigators fear there are other possible victims and are encouraging them to step forward.

Robert Lincoln Baugh, 35, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail Friday for investigation of rape and two counts of sodomy, all third-degree felonies, and failure to update his address on the sex offender registry, a class A misdemeanor.

In addition, West Valley investigators served a search warrant at his home near 1000 South and 500 East where they seized a computer and photography equipment.

Baugh was the owner of House of West Valley Concert Hall, 3572 S. 1950 West, a business that gave local bands a place to perform in front of their friends, said West Valley police Capt. Tom McLachlan.

He moved to Salt Lake County a short time after being released from prison in October of 2002, McLachlan said.

Baugh was convicted of having sex with a 14-year-old girl in St. George in 1997 and sentenced to up to five years in prison, McLachlan said.

The West Valley case began when a 16-year-old girl went to police alleging she had had sexual contact with Baugh, McLachlan said. She also claimed Baugh took indecent photos of young girls and put them on his computer, he said.

Detectives are now worried about possible other victims.

"We're fearful because he has done this before," McLachlan said. "He has continued to prey on young girls. We're trying to identify who they are to see if it spreads any further."

Names of girls from two area high schools are being checked out, McLachlan said.

Anyone with information on Baugh or any potential victim is asked to call police at 840-4000.

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