PAUL BAKER FROM MARGATE JAILED FOR PERVERTED PICTURES AND ALCOHOL-DRUGGED GIRLS

In April 2014, a disturbing case emerged involving Paul Baker, a 63-year-old man from Margate, who engaged in reprehensible activities targeting young girls. Baker was found to have supplied alcohol to girls as young as 11 years old, with the intent of encouraging them to pose for provocative photographs in their underwear. The victims, aged between 11 and 14, were coerced into wearing revealing clothing provided by Baker and were made to perform 'glamour' poses, which he then photographed.

Police conducted a raid on Baker's residence located on High Street, Margate, uncovering a troubling collection of evidence. During the search, Baker attempted to shift blame onto the girls, claiming that they had asked him to take the photographs. However, the court was informed that no sexual assault had taken place, and none of the girls were physically harmed in that manner. Despite this, forensic analysis of Baker's computer revealed a disturbing stash of 50 illegal images depicting children in sexual contexts. These images had been downloaded from the internet after Baker searched for terms like 'pre-teen' pictures, indicating premeditated and malicious intent.

At Canterbury Crown Court, Baker pleaded guilty to eight charges of taking indecent photographs of children and two charges of making such images. He was subsequently sentenced to 21 months in prison and was ordered to stay away from children in the future. Prosecutor Dominic Connolly provided details of how the case came to light in August 2012, when a 14-year-old girl confided in her mother that she had been photographed during visits to Baker's flat with friends. Police responded swiftly, seizing a computer and camera from Baker's home, which contained 37 photographs involving six different children.

The court heard that Baker's interactions with the girls often involved giving them cigarettes and alcohol, which he used to manipulate and control them. The girls recounted that Baker would ask them to remove their tops and show their cleavage, with two of them admitting they felt too scared to refuse. Baker also provided provocative clothing stored in his flat and persuaded some girls to remove their tops for photographs after buying them makeup, food, and cash. These actions demonstrated a pattern of grooming and exploitation.

Further investigation revealed that Baker possessed highly illegal and disturbing images of children as young as two years old, categorized in the second highest level of severity. When questioned by police, Baker attempted to downplay his actions, claiming that he had only taken a dozen photographs to please the girls and that the clothing seen in the images was left by other females who had visited his flat for glamour modeling. Judge Heather Norton condemned Baker's behavior, emphasizing that he had tried to shift blame onto the victims while being responsible for supplying alcohol and exploiting their vulnerability. She made it clear that Baker, as an adult, bore full responsibility for his actions and the harm caused to these young girls.