74 Year Old Rochester Man Pleads Guilty to Child Sexual Abuse

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A 74-year-old Rochester man's trial in a child sexual abuse case was scheduled to begin this morning but was canceled due to a last minute plea agreement.

According to court records, Robert Charles Baker entered a guilty plea to a first-degree criminal sexual conduct charge before an Olmsted County judge this morning. Under the terms of the plea deal, prosecutors have dropped their push for an aggravated sentence in his case.

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The criminal complaint against Baker was filed in February of last year and alleged that he repeatedly sexually assaulted a six-year-old girl between January and August 2022. The court document says Baker became the focus of an investigation after Rochester police were contacted by a Mayo Clinic director who reported that a young female patient "had potentially been sexually assaulted."

The criminal charge states that the victim identified Baker as the person who had sexually abused her. The criminal complaint also noted the victim "possessed an inappropriately comprehensive knowledge of human sexuality" while describing the abuse she had suffered.

The court document also lists audio and video recordings from the security system in Baker's home as evidence in the case. The criminal complaint says the recordings captured conversations between the child and Baker during which he discussed his plans to sexually abuse her.

His plea agreement indicates that Baker acknowledges his conviction carries a recommended sentence of 12 years in prison, but also says the judge in the case could impose a sentence as long as 172 months, or a bit over 14 years.

Baker is scheduled to be sentenced in early July and is expected to argue for a downward departure from state sentencing guidelines.

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