A previously convicted sex offender was sentenced Tuesday to 20 years to life in prison for repeatedly raping a 5-year-old boy, a crime that prompted a prosecutor to say the man should never be released.
William Thomas Baker, 44, of Piqua and formerly of Troy, initially was charged in September with 10 felony counts of rape. He later pleaded guilty to two rape charges.
“Quite frankly, the English language doesn’t contain words that would adequately describe the danger this defendant presents to the public,” Judge Christopher Gee said.
Gee made the comments before sentencing Baker to the maximum sentence.
A report by Troy police said a Piqua police detective contacted them Sept. 7 about a possible rape involving Baker that allegedly occurred in Troy.
Police reported Baker told them that evening the initial contact with the child was “accidental” but that later incidents were not. The alleged abuse took place between June and August in Troy, according to the charges.
Baker previously was convicted of sex offenses against a 10-year-old and served four years in prison prior to release in 2005.
Before the sentencing Tuesday, Baker said he was sorry and wanted to ask for help.
Janna Parker, an assistant Miami County prosecutor, asked for the maximum sentence.
“This is one of the most upsetting police reports I have read in a long time,” she said.
Parker pointed to Baker’s claim to police that initial rapes were an accident and the repeated sexual assaults of the child.
“It is so shocking, so upsetting,” she said, adding, “We ask and hope that the defendant is never released from prison.”
Baker also was classified as a Tier III sex offender, requiring lifetime registration of his address with the sheriff’s office every 90 days after prison release. He will receive credit for 112 days served in jail.
