Two Teachers in Jail for Forcing Minors to Engage in Explicit Activities in North Dakota
A former school superintendent in North Dakota, who was initially charged with possessing child sexual abuse materials last November, is now facing multiple child sexual exploitation charges in federal court.
Ryan Baron, the former principal and superintendent in the Midkota School District, was federally indicted on June 6. On the same day, a judge in Griggs County scheduled his trial in the state case for mid-September. The case was made public on June 12.
The future of the state case against Baron remains uncertain following the charges brought by the higher court.
Aaron Doss, 27, of Fargo, had a related state case pending in Cass County, but it was dismissed in light of the federal indictment, as he was a co-conspirator in Baron’s case.
Baron and Doss face multiple charges in U.S. District Court, including the serious charge of coercing and enticing a minor. According to the indictment, the two individuals utilized online means to knowingly influence and manipulate a minor to participate in sexual activities.
Baron, 41, is facing multiple charges, including attempted sexual exploitation of a child and the possession and distribution of images depicting the sexual exploitation of children.
According to the state court documents, Baron’s alleged criminal activity took place during a different time period, specifically between January 2014 and January 2016.
Baron faced two federal counts for his alleged crimes, which extended into January 2024. These actions persisted for at least two months after investigators discovered explicit sexual content involving men and young girls in his Google Drive account.
During a February hearing in the state case against Baron, the Griggs County state’s attorney revealed that a Midkota student was among the victims involved in the case as per GrandForksHerald.
The Midkota School District is responsible for providing education to the residents of Binford, Glenfield, McHenry, Grace City, and Sutton in Griggs and Foster counties in north central North Dakota, situated between Jamestown and Devils Lake. According to district officials, Baron’s employment came to an end in December 2023. His license was suspended by the state board in March.
A trial date has been set in federal court for August 6th.
