A previously registered sex offender appeared for arraignment Friday on a federal child pornography charge in Texarkana.
Nolen Reece Baker, 41, is required to register as a sex offender because of a 2013 conviction for internet stalking of a child in Dallas County, Ark. Baker received a 60-month term of probation in October 2013 and has been required to register as a sex offender since.
Baker appeared with federal public defender Tiffany Fields for arraignment Friday at a hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Barry Bryant in the Texarkana Division of the Western District of Arkansas. Baker entered a not guilty plea to an indictment charging him with attempting to use a computer to view child pornography from May 1, 2013 to April 28, 2014.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wulff filed a motion asking that Baker remain in custody while his case is pending. The motion notes that the alleged offense involves the exploitation of children and expresses the government’s concern for community safety if Baker is released on bond. Bryant temporarily granted Wulff’s request but scheduled the case for a detention hearing later this week.
The indictment charging Baker was handed down Jan. 27 and unsealed by the court following Friday’s hearing. A notice that the government is seeking forfeiture from Baker of a Dell laptop and an external hard drive is included in the indictment.
