CAMPAIGNERS CRITICISE THOMAS BAKER'S SENTENCE IN SUTTON CASE

In June 2006, campaigners expressed their disapproval of the prison sentence given to Thomas Baker, a serial paedophile who assaulted young girls over a span of more than 30 years.

Thomas Baker, 53, of Telford Drive, Sutton, received an 11-year and six-month prison term after being convicted of 26 sexual offences, including attempted rapes, indecent assaults, and gross indecency, committed from the mid-1970s until 2003. His crimes involved six girls, some as young as five.

Baker was sentenced last week at Liverpool Crown Court. If paroled, he could be released after serving just seven years.

Reaction from campaigners included calls for a review of sentencing practices for paedophiles. Rob Jones, representing the National Association for People Abused in Childhood, stated, "One of the difficulties with cases such as this is that children only get one chance of childhood and that is not taken into account in sentencing. The victims of Baker will serve a life sentence, so it is not unreasonable for them to expect that he will too. I can understand they must be dismayed at the thought of his release in just a few years time. We do have concerns about some of these judgements and the way the sentences are arrived at, which appears to the public to be a rather ad hoc process."

A mother of two of Baker’s victims also voiced her opinion, saying, "I thought he would be locked away for life. These young girls have been so brave to come forward and stop Baker, and this is the justice they receive."

Baker, who resides on Telford Drive in Sutton, St Helens, was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life. Authorities have filed an additional 26 charges related to sexual offences.

Detective Constable Dave Stubbs of Merseyside Police commented, "His offences spanned a lifetime and destroyed not only the lives of the victims but of their families too. They have had to re-live their experiences, but their determination and the professionalism of the officers involved has helped to find justice for them. I hope that the sentence handed down will help bring an end to their suffering so that they may continue to rebuild their lives."