LansingCurrent.com / Former school librarian sentenced in child pornography case

Archive for Monday, February 11, 2008

Staff Reports

February 11, 2008

Kansas City, Kan. — A former elementary school librarian from Leavenworth has been sentenced for producing child pornography that involved a preteen student.

Anthony Baker, 36, Leavenworth, was sentenced Monday to 210 months on federal charges of producing child pornography.

Prosecutors said at the time of the crime, Baker was a librarian at Muncie Elementary School in Leavenworth and the victim was a 10-year-old student.

“Mr. Baker’s sentence will not undo the damage he has done,” said U.S. Attorney Eric Melgren. “But I hope it will serve to remind every parent and every educator that we all share the responsibility to protect our children from sexual predators.”

Baker pleaded guilty in October 2007 to one count of producing child pornography.

According to Melgren, Baker admitted in his plea that he began tutoring the victim while she was a student at Muncie Elementary and that his wife objected to his having the girl over to their home and buying the girl presents. Baker’s wife began monitoring how he used the computer at home. She discovered files that indicated he was chatting over the Internet with underage girls and collecting pornography that included sexual images of children.

After Baker’s wife turned the computer over to law enforcement officers, investigators discovered images of Baker and girl involved in sexual acts with each other.

In his plea on Oct. 24, 2007, Baker stated: “I enticed a 10-year-old female to engage in sexual conduct.”

In addition to the prison sentence, Baker will be required to pay $16,790 restitution for treatment and counseling of the victim. He will be required to register as a sex offender, and when he is released from prison he will be required to serve 20 years on supervised release.

For information on how to keep children safe from sexual predators, see the Web site: projectsafechildhood.gov.