Authorities in Centre County say a State College man, who was convicted last year of raping a 1-year-old girl, has been sentenced to serve decades behind bars.
Jackson Baker, now age 55, was sentenced Tuesday to spend 20 to 40 years in state prison, followed by three years of probation.
Baker was convicted in September on all the charges he faces, which included rape of a child and unlawful contact with a minor.
He was arrested in June of 2019 after a witness told police that, earlier that year, he saw Baker sexually assaulting the infant inside the basement of a home.
According to the criminal affidavit, police say another witness had suspected Baker of being a pedophile based upon previous “inappropriate” comments that he had made about children.
Police say the witness also claimed that Baker had been previously investigated by Children and Youth Services in Florida.
After further investigation, police say they found Baker had multiple contacts with CYS throughout his life, including being accused of taking photos of young boys in their underwear on a camping trip while he was working as a Royal Rangers leader in Ohio.
Police say Baker denied all the allegations and claimed that the accusations that he had assaulted the infant were the result of him being framed by a homeless man who wanted to move into his home.
The lead prosecutor in the case said, “it’s among the most heinous crimes I’ve dealt with.”