Harry Baker's arrest not a shock to all

Published online on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009

Harry Baker is a patriot and a philanthropist. And now the legal system must decide if the 81-year-old owner of Sierra Telephone also is a pedophile.

People in Madera County expressed shock when Baker was arrested last week on suspicion of committing a lewd act with a 13-year-old girl in a Fresno motel.

How could they not be shocked?

Baker was the kind of businessman who shared the fruits of his fortune with others.

He was proud of his business -- which he bought from his parents back in 1950 -- and he was proud of Oakhurst.

The alleged incident, of which there is video recording, happened more than two years ago. And Baker's lawyer, Richard Berman, says that his client paid $250,000 to "skilled" blackmailers related to the girl.

Despite the stress of the situation, Baker maintained his customary profile.

In fact, his company last month held the annual Patriots Day event started after the 2001 terrorist attacks.

"I believe that our family of companies, in all the areas that we serve, can -- and should -- show our continuing support for our country and the freedoms we enjoy," Baker said of the event, at which slices of "All-American" apple pie were served and patriotic music was played.

But Baker's arrest and his subsequent identification as a suspect in another sexual assault case, in Las Vegas, surely weren't a surprise to a few Madera County residents.

In recent years, Baker attended events with women who appeared to be in their late teens, one longtime community leader told me.

One occasion was the company's Christmas party at the Ahwahnee Hotel two years ago.

"Harry said that the girl was his date," the source said. "She looked about 18."

It's not against the law to date an 18-year-old, although it will create waves when you're Baker's age, a former elected official and the owner of one of the most successful businesses in a county.

I wonder if any of his friends thought, "What in the world is Harry doing?" but didn't question him about dating women more than 60 years younger than he was. Power, wealth and reputation often provide a buffer against such prying.

In an effort to win the public-perception battle, Berman is portraying his client as the innocent victim of extortionist "gypsies" and says that Baker touched the girl in a nonsexual way.

But, should the case go to trial, jurors will want to know why Baker, a consummate businessman and pillar of his community, simply didn't walk out of the motel room when the girl asked him to examine her private parts for medical problems.

They'll also want a believable explanation -- other than sexual gratification -- for how a man of Baker's stature and experience came to be involved with grifters.

Says Berman: "They're professional crooks, and he's an old guy with money. He's their ideal target, their dream-come-true. They're very sophisticated in targeting and victimizing guys like that."

It's telling that after Baker went to federal authorities with his story of coughing up $250,000 to make the video go away, he didn't receive a deal for exposing the pornographic taping of the 13-year-old.

The absence of such a deal and Baker's arrest says that law enforcement believes he has committed unforgivable crimes.

Baker is innocent until proven guilty. Meanwhile, federal authorities -- joined by law enforcement in two states and at least three counties -- dig deep into the private life of a very public man.