Vancouver man in court in child sex abuse case

UPDATE: This case was exonerated in Clark County Superior Court and sent to Kittitas County, according to court records.

A Vancouver man who allegedly sexually abused a 5-year-old girl, whom he knows, and produced child pornography appeared Thursday in Clark County Superior Court.

Bryen K. Baldwin, 31, faces allegations of first-degree possessing depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, first-degree rape of a child and sexual exploitation of a minor.

The alleged abuse was reported by the girl’s mother April 9, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

Investigators with the Vancouver Police Department’s Digital Evidence Cybercrime Unit later served a search warrant at Baldwin’s Vancouver residence and seized his cellphone, which was used to take photos of the abuse. Detectives found 13 images of child pornography associated with the abuse, the affidavit states.

During his hearing, Judge John Fairgrieve set Baldwin’s bail at $150,000. He will be arraigned May 3, court records show.