Former youth pastor convicted of sexual abuse on flight to Seattle from Burbank

SEATTLE – A 41-year-old California man was convicted Thursday of sexually assaulting a woman earlier this year while on a flight from Burbank to Seattle.

Justin Baker was arrested on March 14 of this year when an Alaska Airlines plane arrived at Sea-Tac Airport, according to the United States Attorney’s Office – Western District of Washington. Baker was remanded in custody on October 23 after the jury returned its guilty verdict.

The jury deliberated for about 90 minutes after a three-day trial, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The U.S. Attorney’s Office went on to note that U.S. District Judge John C. Coughnour scheduled Baker’s sentencing for January 21, 2025.

“According to filings and testimony at trial, Baker was in the middle seat with the victim seated to his right against the side of the plane,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office wrote. “Baker learned the victim was getting ready to go to college and was only 18 years old.”

According to testimony during the trial, Baker showed the teenager “sexually explicit messages” he had on his phone before placing his jacket on her lap as well as her lower body. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said the woman tried to get away from Baker and approach the wall, but Baker reached under her jacket and groped her leg and genitals over her clothes. After that, Baker reached into her top and groped her breast.

“Despite the fact that the victim said ‘No’ and pulled away when he first tried to touch her, he continued to grope her,” the US Attorney’s Office wrote. “Eventually, the victim got out of his seat to contact the flight crew. As she tried to walk past Baker, he groped her buttocks.”

In a closing argument during the trial, an assistant U.S. attorney said the defendant “saw the word ‘No’ as a speed bump, not a stop sign.”

At the trial, prosecutors presented the testimony of another victim, who in 2004, as a 15-year-old girl, was similarly molested by Baker. At the time, Baker was a youth pastor who didn’t stop despite the victim telling him not to when he tried to molest her under a blanket, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.

“Abusive sexual contact is punishable by up to two years in prison,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office wrote. “The actual sentence will be determined by Judge Coughnour after consideration of the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.”

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Seattle Port Police.