Man charged with child molesting

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

A Cloverdale man remained in the Putnam County Jail Tuesday after being arrested on child molesting charges.

Jeffrey L. Baker, 50, was arrested Friday. Formal charges of Class A child molesting and Class C misdemeanor child molesting were filed against him on Monday, and his initial hearing was held in Putnam County Circuit Court Tuesday. Judge Matthew Headley set Baker's bond at $50,000 cash only.

Baker is set to go back to court for a pretrial conference on Jan. 29. He requested pauper counsel, and public defender James Recker was assigned to his case.

According to court documents, Detective Capt. Michael Biggs of the Putnam County Sheriff's Department was contacted by Putnam County Central Dispatch around 4:30 p.m. on Friday to contact a Department of Child Services caseworker regarding a pending investigation. The caseworker told Biggs that she and another female caseworker were going to the home where Baker, the suspect, and the alleged victim lived to conduct an interview, and she wanted Biggs to accompany her as a safety precaution and to possibly do further investigation.

Biggs and the caseworkers arrived at Baker's residence at about 5:30p.m.

"Upon being provided with some limited information regarding the nature of the allegations that caused us to be at the residence, Baker stated that the allegations were false and and inquired (about) the identity of the reporting party," a narrative prepared by Biggs said.

Baker let the caseworkers into the house and allowed them to speak privately with the alleged victim, court documents said. As time went on, "Baker's demeanor and body language were changing to a level of irritation," Biggs wrote.

Eventually, Baker demanded that Biggs and the caseworkers leave his home, court documents said.

Biggs and the caseworkers went outside Baker's house, where Biggs called for backup.

Officers managed to convince Baker, who "became loudly verbal and began to exhibit body movements and posturing commonly associated with aggressive intent," to come outside. The caseworkers went back into the house to continue their interview with the alleged victim.

The alleged victim told case workers two incidents of molestation had happened: One in the home she shared with Baker and one in the semi Baker drove for a living.

"After a continued, rather lengthy and tedious interview, Baker eventually admitted that the disclosures provided by (the alleged victim) were, in fact, truthful in detail and content as presented and that he had, on several occasions, committed sexual acts of a criminal nature against (the alleged victim,)" Biggs wrote. "Baker confirmed that he had a problem and that he had been dealing with the problem for many years and that help was needed to address the problem. Baker stated that the encounters had started some years ago, and when (the alleged victim) made no disclosure of the incidents, he continued with the acts."

If convicted on both charges, Baker could be sentenced to 58 years in prison.