James Baker, 37, of Dickson, Tennessee, pleaded guilty on July 27 to receipt of child pornography in federal court in Nashville, according to an Aug. 5 announcement by U.S. Attorney Braden H. Boucek for the Middle District of Tennessee.
According to court documents, the FBI began investigating Baker in August 2024 after receiving information that he was communicating via the social media application Kik with an undercover law enforcement employee posing as the father of an 11-year-old girl. During these communications, Baker claimed he was sexually abusing his own teenage daughter and offered advice about abusing the purported child. He also transmitted sexually explicit images he falsely said depicted his daughter; however, he later admitted obtaining these images online and not knowing the individual shown.
“After already being released from state prison for a child exploitation offense, this defendant was found to have child sexual abuse material on his cell phone,” said U.S. Attorney Boucek. “Those who target children will be identified, prosecuted, and held accountable. Our office will continue using every available federal law-enforcement resource to protect children from exploitation.”
Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly of the FBI Nashville Field Office said, “This case serves as a reminder of the dangers sexual predators, especially repeat offenders, pose to the most vulnerable every day… The FBI is committed to finding predators like him and bringing them to justice while also ensuring those they’ve victimized are safe and well-supported.”
Emergency disclosure information obtained from Kik and other service providers identified Baker as operating the account involved in these communications. In September 2024, FBI agents interviewed Baker and seized his cellphone; during questioning, he admitted communicating with the undercover employee and possessing child sexual abuse material on his device.
A forensic examination authorized by court order revealed images and videos involving prepubescent children on Baker’s cellphone, which led to his indictment for receipt of child pornography.
Baker was a registered sex offender at that time due to a previous conviction for sexual exploitation of a minor in Dickson County in March 2020; he had been sentenced then to six years’ imprisonment but released from state custody in March 2024.
Baker faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years up to forty years in federal prison as well as supervised release ranging from five years up through life, fines up to $250,000 plus restitution and forfeiture requirements. Sentencing is scheduled for November 9 before U.S. District Judge Eli J. Richardson; Baker remains detained pending sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Clarksville Resident Agency with assistance from Dickson County Sheriff’s Office; Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica R. Morrison is prosecuting this case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee enforces federal laws across thirty-two counties representing United States interests through criminal prosecutions and civil litigation while collaborating with law enforcement agencies throughout middle Tennessee, according to its official website.