WICKHAM BISHOPS SEX OFFENDER MICHAEL BAKER IS JAILED
A sex offender named Michael Baker, aged 34, was sentenced to three years and four months in jail after admitting to making indecent images of children.Authorities uncovered Baker's collection after police monitored his internet activity.
During a raid on his home in April 2017 in Roots Lane, Wickham Bishops, officers seized various computer devices and found 44 pictures and videos of Baker with a child aged between 13 and 15, recorded between 2013 and 2014.
Additional illegal images were discovered, including three Category A indecent images, two Category B images, and 17 pictures and 29 videos at Category C.
Baker claimed he believed the child was 17 and that the content was made during his university days, but this was disputed by a judge.
The images dated back to Baker's late teenage years and early 20s, showing a clear immaturity.
The court heard that Baker's collection was extensive and disturbing, with the prosecution describing it as "sickening." He was also ordered to sign the Sex Offender Register indefinitely and to be subject to a ten-year sexual harm prevention order.
Prosecutor Wayne Cleaver stated that Baker’s illegal collection was uncovered after police tracked his internet use via an IP address, leading to a raid where electronic equipment including a computer, hard drive, and a laptop were seized, all containing incriminating material.
The judge emphasized that despite Baker’s mental health issues, "mental health issues only take you so far" in sentencing, especially given the young victim involved and Baker’s status as a grown man.
