OTTAWA, Ill. — Now-terminated LaSalle County Sheriff’s Deputy Dexter C. Baker, 28, of Ottawa and DePue, is charged with 10 child-pornography-related felonies in the case People of the State of Illinois v. Dexter C. Baker, facing over 250 years in prison if found guilty of all charges.
By Willow Moss | Moss and Ink, updated June 14, 2026
Case Status
- Current status: Charged; awaiting plea hearing; defendant has waived right to a speedy trial
- Next court date: Plea hearing scheduled for April 9 with Judge Vescogni
- Custody status: Held without pretrial release at the Bureau County Jail
- Prosecution: Illinois Attorney General’s Office (took over from the LaSalle County State’s Attorney)
- Presiding judge: Judge Vescogni
- Last updated: June 14, 2026
Arrest & Charges
Baker is charged with 10 child-pornography-related felonies, broken down as follows:
- 8 counts of Child Pornography / Reproduce / Move. Under 720 ILCS 5/11-20.1(a)(2), a person commits the offense by knowingly reproducing, disseminating, or possessing with intent to disseminate any form of child pornography — applying to visual depictions of a person under 18, or a person with a severe intellectual disability, engaged in sexual conduct. Each count carries a possible sentence of 6 to 30 years with no chance of probation.
- 2 counts of Child Pornography / Possession. A person commits this offense if they, with knowledge of its content, possess any film, videotape, photograph, or other computer visual depiction of a child under 18 or a person with a severe or profound intellectual disability. Each count carries a possible sentence of 3 to 7 years.
If found guilty, all prison sentences would have to be served consecutively (back to back), for a total of 254 years.
Evidence & Allegations
Due to the nature of the offenses and the accused’s background as a Sheriff’s Deputy, little is publicly known about the investigation. It first became public through his arrest and appearance on the jail roster; no public statements or press releases were made by the LaSalle County Sheriff’s Department, the accused’s former employer.
An investigation was launched on June 4, 2025, after a cybertip was given to law enforcement indicating that a social messaging app had reported a user for child pornography. That user turned out to be Deputy Baker. Search warrants were obtained and later executed, and after Baker was revealed as the suspect, he was fired from the LaSalle County Sheriff’s Office.
At the pretrial release hearing, case details came to light, including that Baker shared “multiple video files” and that uploads occurred at the Ottawa YMCA and the LaSalle County Government Complex — which could include the courthouse or jail — indicating some uploads may have occurred while he was working in his capacity as a Deputy Sheriff. Defense attorney Michelle McClellan argued that her client has no criminal history, has a “distinguished record of community service,” and had voluntarily entered unspecified treatment for “personal issues.” In her ruling denying pretrial release, Judge Vescogni noted that at least one of the charged offenses occurred after police had executed a search warrant at his residence — meaning he was aware he was under investigation.
Background
Because Baker is a former LaSalle County Sheriff’s Deputy who had previously testified in court on behalf of the State’s Attorney, the case presented a conflict of interest within the county. He is being held at the Bureau County Jail, and the Illinois Attorney General’s Office took over the prosecution.
Case Timeline & Proceedings
June 4, 2025 — Investigation launched
Law enforcement received a cybertip after a social messaging app reported a user for child pornography. The user was identified as Deputy Baker; search warrants followed, and Baker was fired from the Sheriff’s Office.
Pretrial release hearing — Release denied
Pretrial release was denied after Assistant Attorney General Katherine Hegarty urged the court. The case was moved to the Bureau County Jail and the Attorney General’s Office took over due to a conflict of interest.
Sept. 19, 2025 — Pretrial conference
Baker was assigned Public Defender Hamer after his retained private counsel withdrew. He waived his right to a speedy trial, canceling the jury trial previously scheduled for September 29, and was ordered held in custody until his next status hearing.
Nov. 13, 2025 — Status hearing
A continuance was requested. The next status hearing was scheduled for January 15, 2026, which was canceled and rescheduled to February 19, 2026.
Feb. 19, 2026 — Status hearing
Both parties agreed to ask for a continuance, which was granted and scheduled for April 9th — which was also supposed to be a plea hearing.
April 9, 2026 — Plea hearing canceled
The April 9th hearing/plea was subsequently canceled, and a status hearing was scheduled instead for May 28th, 2026.
May 28, 2026 — Status hearing
No plea was made. The cause was continued for status again and scheduled for July 30th before Judge Vescogni.
This is a developing story and will be updated as confirmed information becomes available. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.