Ron Welch
Muskingum County Prosecutor
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, October 13, 2023
Adamsville man sentenced following prom night sexual imposition
Jesse Baker, 45, of Adamsville was sentenced to 60 days in jail and 15 years of sexual offender registration following his conviction for sexual imposition Friday morning.
The facts underlying the case occurred following high school prom last spring. Baker hosted a sleepover where he offered high school students alcohol and marijuana. Throughout the evening, Baker made sexually charged comments to a 16-year-old and escalated his behavior to include unwanted sexual contact with the victim.
Baker admitted his acts in court on Oct. 6, and was sentenced by Judge Scott Rankin.
“While giving alcohol and marijuana to minors is a crime and likely contributed to this offense, the victim and the victim’s family, as well as my office, viewed the sexually related conduct and the punishment of registration as most important in this case,” Assistant Prosecuting Attorney John Litle who handled the case said.
The maximum sentence for sexual imposition of this type is 60 days of jail. The victim and her family requested that penalty, and Judge Rankin agreed, stating that it “was supposed to be one of the best nights in [the victim’s] life, and instead, because of your actions, [the victim] will always remember it as something awful.”
The victim’s mother shared with the Court prior to sentencing that “There are so many things our teenage children have to be wary of and learn to handle in the world today. A grown man [in this context] should not be one of them.”
If it were not for the victim’s courage to report this crime and bravery during the criminal justice process, justice would not have been achieved for both the victim and any other child who might have ended up in a similar position with Baker in the future.
The Muskingum County Prosecutor’s Office is also appreciative of the Muskingum County Sheriff’s Office School Resource Officer Unit for immediately and properly responding to the situation and Detective Sergeant Brady Hittle for handling the case.
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