Pacific NW Task Force Tracks Down & Arrests Kansas Man for Child Sex Abuse
Led by the United States Marshals Service, the Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force tracked down and arrested a man wanted out of Kansas on a felony warrant for child sex abuse near Wimer yesterday.
The Jackson County Sheriff's Office reports the suspect -- 51-year-old Ben J. Baxter of Kansas -- was wanted on a felony charge of Sex Abuse of a Minor Under 14 Years of Age. The crime occurred between June 27th and July 1st of this year.
Ben Baxter is now lodged at the Jackson County Jail awaiting extradition back to Kansas.
The arrest occurred on Friday at 2:33 p.m. when investigations led the Sheriff's Office and task force to a remote residence on Murphy Gulch Road west of Wimer. Investigators located Baxter leaving the house and arrested him without incident. The suspect had wrapped multiple cell phones in aluminum foil to avoid detection, but he was unsuccessful in avoiding capture.
Over the last few days, the Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force tracked Baxter from Josephine County to the arrest location. The task force was assisted by the Oregon State Police, Josephine County Sheriff's Office, Grants Pass Police Department and Rogue River Police Department.
The task force includes personnel from the US Marshals Service, Jackson County Sheriff's Office and Central Point Police Department. It specializes in locating and arresting fugitives wanted for offenses including -- but not limited to -- murder, assault, sex crimes, failure to register as a sex offender, firearm violations and probation violations.
