HIGHLANDS SEX OFFENDER WHO VIOLENTLY SHOOK A BABY GIVEN UNPAID WORK WAS PREVIOUSLY ADDED TO THE SEX OFFENDERS REGISTER FOR TROUBLING PATTERN OF BEHAVIOUR

CHILD ABUSE ARTICLE:

A 40-year-old man who twice violently shook a baby was ordered to carry out 250 hours of unpaid community work instead of going to jail.

Matthew Baker, who Inverness Sheriff Court was told now lives in Caithness, was found guilty after trial of the offences which took place between September 2017 and July last year at a house in Inverness.

He was also convicted of threatening behaviour at the same house between July last year and January this year and of assaulting a teenage boy at the address, which cannot be disclosed for legal reasons.

SEX ABUSE ARTICLE:

Matthew Baker, a 40-year-old resident of Wick, found himself in legal trouble following a series of disturbing actions that led to court proceedings. The case was heard at Inverness Sheriff Court, where Judge Gordon Fleetwood presided over the matter. Baker was given a community-based sentence that required him to complete 180 hours of unpaid work, serving as an alternative to imprisonment. In addition to this community service, Baker was placed on the sex offenders register for a period of three years, a measure intended to monitor and manage his conduct moving forward. Furthermore, the court imposed a two-year non-harassment order, prohibiting him from contacting or approaching the victim to prevent further distress.

Details of Baker’s misconduct reveal a troubling pattern of behavior that spanned over two years, from July 1, 2016, to July 21, 2018. During this period, Baker admitted to engaging in actions aimed at sexual gratification or intended to humiliate and cause distress to a woman. His conduct included making sexual communications and crude remarks about her in a manner that others could hear, without her consent. These actions were not only invasive but also deeply upsetting for the victim, who suffered emotional harm as a result.

In addition to the verbal and communicative misconduct, Baker also admitted to causing the woman to feel fear and alarm on multiple occasions during the same timeframe. The court heard that his behavior was serious enough to warrant legal intervention, yet Baker was spared a custodial sentence. Instead, the court opted for a combination of social work supervision and a community order, emphasizing the importance of rehabilitation and monitoring. The decision reflects the court’s recognition of the gravity of his actions, balanced against considerations of his personal circumstances and the potential for reform.