LIMA — The verdict was swift and decisive.
A jury of nine men and three women deliberated for less than two hours Thursday in Allen County Common Pleas Court before finding an Elida man guilty of rape and other sex-related charges.
William Baker Jr., 40, was charged with two counts each of rape, sexual battery, unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and gross sexual imposition for an April 7 incident involving a 15-year-old girl at a Poling Road residence. He was found guilty on all counts.
The defendant buried his face in his hands and shook his head as the first of eight guilty verdicts was read aloud in court. He later wiped a tear from his eye.
Baker will be sentenced by Judge Jeffrey Reed at 9 a.m. Nov. 27.
Throughout the trial Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Terri Kohlrieser alleged that Baker penetrated the victim digitally and then performed oral sex on the young girl. The victim took the witness stand and repeated those accusations for jurors on Tuesday during the trial’s opening day.
She said the Baker began by rubbing her back, then moved his hands to her side, her stomach and ultimately beneath her sweat pants and underwear on the morning in question. The alleged victim then told jurors the defendant placed a finger or fingers into her vagina, then removed her pants and underwear and kissed and licked her genital area.
Various experts in forensic science testified to the strong likelihood that the defendant’s DNA was present on the victim, although no semen was detected.
Defense Attorney Carroll Creighton, in his closing arguments to jurors Thursday morning, attempted to discredit the victim and questioned her credibility.
“Your function is the protection of the defendant’s rights,” Creighton told jurors, “and I appreciate your efforts. I thank you for determining who is credible; who is telling the truth. By now you know what our position is. We don’t think [the victim] is being truthful.”
Kohlreiser said the defense attorney focused solely on “trivial” discrepancies in testimony during the trial in making that claim and told jurors the tactic was “smoke and mirrors meant to distract you.”
Creighton admitted that Baker’s statements during a jailhouse interview with Detective Nate Music of the Allen County Sheriff’s Office could be viewed as incriminating. While in jail, the attorney said, Baker “said and did some pretty stupid things, but that doesn’t mean he’s guilty.”
Creighton said the state failed to prove there was “reasonable doubt” that the defendant committed the acts with which he was charged. “And where you find reasonable doubt, you must acquit,” he said.
But, based on their quick deliberations, jurors apparently weren’t having any of it.
Kohlreiser said the state would agree to merge some of the counts at time of sentencing, in effect leaving Baker to face two counts of rape, first-degree felonies, for sentencing purposes. Each count of rape carries a sentence of between 3-11 years in prison.
The defendant was ordered back to jail and Reed raised his bond from $250,000 to $500,000.
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