Ohio Valley man hosted a sleepover after a prom; Offered students weed and alcohol, made sexual contact with 16-year-old

MUSKINGUM COUNTY, Ohio — The Muskingum County Prosecutor’s Office announced the sentencing of an Adamsville man for sexual imposition.

Jesse Baker, 45, was sentenced to 60 days in jail and 15 years of sexual offender registration following his conviction for sexual imposition on October 13.

According to the report, the incident occurred following high school prom last spring, where Baker offered high school students alcohol and marijuana.

Officials say that 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 October 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 in 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 before 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.”

Officials say that 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 the victim and any other child who might have ended up in a similar position with Baker.

The Muskingum County Prosecutor’s Office also appreciates 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.