JOHN BAKER AND HIS SHOCKING CRIMES IN HULL AND BRADFORD
A notorious sex offender, John Baker, has been found guilty of serious crimes involving child exploitation and possession of indecent images.Baker, aged 41, has a long history of offending, including a previous conviction in 1998 for indecently assaulting an eight-year-old girl.
During that incident, he took the young girl off school premises in Bradford and subjected her to sexual assault.
Baker’s criminal record is extensive, with a total of 62 prior offences, including indecent assault, possession of indecent photographs, and failure to comply with notification requirements as a registered sex offender.
At his recent court appearance at Hull Crown Court, Baker appeared wearing a wig and used multiple aliases, including the name 'Sam Turner.' His attempts to conceal his identity extended to his online activities, despite being under a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) that prohibited him from accessing the internet at home.
The order was meant to restrict his online behavior due to the nature of his previous offences.
However, Baker’s lodger reported him after discovering that he was accessing the internet during the early hours while his partner was asleep.
This breach led to further investigation.
Police executed a search of Baker’s residence and uncovered a significant collection of illegal images.
The authorities found 363 images classified as Category A, which is considered the most serious, along with 235 images in Category B and 342 in Category C.
Additionally, there were 16 prohibited images, although details about these were not disclosed.
Baker admitted to the probation service that one of the images depicted an eight-month-old baby, but it was unclear whether this related to his earlier offences.
Prosecutor Claire Holmes explained that Baker had used a website that displayed explicit content from around the world, including images of adults and children engaged in sexual acts.
Baker admitted that he found himself 'getting excited' while viewing these images but denied deriving sexual gratification from them.
He claimed that he continued viewing the material because it continued to excite him.
Baker also confessed to using computer programs designed to hide his internet activity, indicating an awareness of the illegality of his actions.
Baker’s history of deception extended to his use of multiple aliases.
In January of the previous year, he visited a fellow sex offender in Hull Prison with his partner, giving his alias 'Sam Turner.' He also failed to disclose his other identities when attending Osborne Street police station in November 2017 to complete his sex offender registration.
His attempts to conceal his true identity were part of his ongoing efforts to protect his professional reputation, as he owns a self-employed removals business launched eight years ago.
During the court proceedings, Judge Mark Bury described the gravity of Baker’s actions.
He stated, “You had entered a school premises and you led her away.
You were to admit to the probation service that had you not been interrupted by the caretaker, you would have raped her.” The judge emphasized the danger Baker posed, noting that he is considered a high risk of causing serious harm to children and a very high risk of reoffending, based on a pre-sentence report.
The judge’s remarks underscored the severity of Baker’s criminal conduct and the ongoing threat he poses to the community.
As a result, Baker was sentenced to five years in prison, and he was made subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.
This order includes a ban on him using the internet at home, aiming to prevent further access to illegal material and protect potential victims from his predatory behavior.
