A 26-year-old man was sentenced Tuesday to three years of probation following his plea in a 2019 rape in Baldwin City.
Zane Baugh was charged in March 2022 with raping an 18-year-old woman in September 2019.
The woman told Baldwin City police that after a party at a friend’s apartment, Baugh, 22 years old at the time, had asked if she wanted to sleep in his bed. She said yes, not thinking that he would touch her, according to an affidavit in the case file. Then he started raping her and continued despite her telling him repeatedly to stop, she told police. The woman said she eventually pushed Baugh off of her, but she was in shock and felt frozen, according to the affidavit.
Baugh was charged with rape, a level-1, or high-severity, felony. In August, he pleaded no contest to a charge of aggravated battery, a level-4, or midlevel-severity, felony.
Judge Sally Pokorny said the level-4 felony charge, even for someone with no criminal history, would generally be a presumptive prison sentence under state sentencing statutes. Defense attorney John DeMarco filed a motion seeking probation instead of prison for Baugh.
Baugh had completed a sex offender evaluation that indicated he had a “very low risk” for any type of reoffense, Pokorny said after reading the document during the sentencing hearing.
Deputy District Attorney Joshua Seiden told the judge that the survivor in the case did not object, and that she just wanted to move on with her life. She did not appear in court for the sentencing hearing.
Pokorny sentenced Baugh to 36 months, or three years, of probation. She said Baugh had spared the woman of the uncertainty and trauma of going through a jury trial. She said he held full-time employment, he had a supportive family and that he had accepted responsibility for the crime by entering his plea.
Baugh told the judge he did not wish to speak at the sentencing hearing.
Should Baugh violate his probation, he could face a sentence of 41 months in prison followed by almost three years of post-release supervision. He must pay $513 in court costs, a probation fee and a DNA database fee. Seiden also said there was a $10 restitution for the survivor.
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Resources for survivors
If you have experienced sexual violence or trauma, please seek the help that’s right for you. There are many options available, and you don’t have to file a police report if you don’t want to.
Get 24/7 help in Lawrence: The Sexual Trauma & Abuse Care Center
- Call 785-843-8985 to reach an advocate, 24/7. (Consider saving that number in your phone in case you or someone you know ever needs it.)
- After an assault: What are my options? Check this page for detailed information about
- talking to an advocate,
- going to the hospital,
- making a police report,
- and/or talking to a counselor or therapist.
- On campus? Check this page for specific resources for the University of Kansas, Haskell Indian Nations University, Baker University, Ottawa University and more.
Resources on KU’s campus:
- Contact CARE (Campus Assistance, Resource, and Education) Services: KU students can make an appointment online at careservices.ku.edu, by email, care@ku.edu, or by calling 785-864-9255. It’s free, confidential and voluntary to talk with the CARE Coordinator. All genders welcome. Read more here.
- Find more KU campus resources at this link. Specific information about sexual assault exams can be found under the “Medical Care” tab.
- Connect with KU CARE Companions on Instagram. (Note: CARE Companions are KU students in the Panhellenic community that offer peer support and info about resources, but this is not an advocacy service like others listed here.)
Domestic violence situations: The Willow Domestic Violence Center
- Reach the Willow for help 24/7 at 785-843-3333.
- Find more resources on the Willow’s website at this link.
More resources
- StrongHearts Native Helpline: Call 1-844-7NATIVE (762-8483) for 24/7 safe, confidential and anonymous domestic and sexual violence support for Native Americans and Alaska Natives that is culturally appropriate.
- National hotline: Call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), text “START” to 88788, and/or visit thehotline.org to chat and learn more, 24/7.
Mackenzie Clark (she/her), reporter/founder of The Lawrence Times, can be reached at mclark@lawrencekstimes.com. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
