DAVID BAKER FROM STARTFORTH SHAMES COUNTY DURHAM WITH SICK SEX ACT IN HOTEL ROOM NEAR BARNARD CASTLE

In April 2018, a disturbing case emerged involving David Lionel Baker, a man from Startforth, a village near Barnard Castle in County Durham, who was found guilty of heinous sexual misconduct involving a vulnerable 15-year-old girl. Baker, aged 43 at the time, was the owner of a well-known bakery called The Moody Baker, which had garnered local popularity. However, beneath this facade, he engaged in a sinister grooming campaign targeting a young girl he had connected with through social media platforms.

It was revealed during the court proceedings that Baker had identified the girl as vulnerable, suffering from personal issues, and exploited this knowledge to manipulate her. The grooming began in June 2016, when Baker initiated contact with the teenager online. Prosecutor Jolyon Perks detailed how Baker pretended to be concerned for her well-being, but his intentions quickly turned malicious. He steered their conversations toward increasingly sexual and explicit topics, eventually engaging in sexual acts over video chat. The victim, in an effort to avoid witnessing the acts, covered her phone during the incident.

Further evidence showed that Baker solicited nude images from the girl, who expressed fears that he would disclose her personal issues to others. Throughout their exchanges, Baker repeatedly discussed his own genitalia in graphic detail and shared perverted fantasies, demonstrating a disturbing pattern of grooming and exploitation. The situation escalated when Baker followed the girl to a hotel in Newcastle, where he pressured her into performing a sexual act and groped her. In a chilling message sent afterward, he told her, “it’s your turn next,” indicating his continued predatory intentions.

The girl confided in her friends about the assault, prompting her to contact the police. Law enforcement officials became involved, and Baker’s attempts to cover his tracks were uncovered. Prior to his trial, he tried to delete messages from his phone and searched online for information about the legal consequences of arrest, indicating an awareness of his wrongdoing.

It was also disclosed that Baker was no stranger to the criminal justice system. Over a decade earlier, he was convicted in Birmingham on February 22, 2007, for grooming and engaging in sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl he met on an online chat room. He received a six-month suspended sentence for two years and was required to register as a sex offender. Baker had claimed he was “in love with her” at the time.

During the current proceedings, Judge Stephen Earl warned Baker that a custodial sentence was likely when he sentenced him in two weeks, emphasizing the seriousness of his crimes and the need for justice for the victim.