Boys & Girls Club program director arrested for sexting with 5-year-old boy

MURRAY – The Murray Boys & Girls Club's program director was arrested for allegedly sending sexual text messages to a boy and attempting to meet him.

Patrick Robert Baker, 25, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on suspicion of second-degree felony counts of sodomy of a child, enticement of a minor and sexual exploitation of a minor, the police affidavit said.

Investigators reported that Baker used the Internet and text messages to contact what he believed to be a 5-year-old boy.

According to the affidavit, when Baker arrived at a location where he planned to meet the boy on Monday, investigators confronted him and Baker attempted to escape. Investigators reported that they had to throw Baker to the ground to arrest him.

The affidavit says Baker admitted to investigators that he had inappropriate images of children on his phone, which was confirmed by police.

On Tuesday, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Salt Lake issued a statement saying Baker had been terminated and suspended from all club facilities and programs.

The safety and security of the young people we serve is always our top priority and we take any situation that may impact their well-being very seriously. Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Salt Lake has learned of the recent arrest of a former employee. Upon learning of this information, this individual was immediately fired and is now banned from all club programs and facilities. We remain shocked and deeply concerned by this very serious matter, as crimes involving children go against everything our mission stands for – our hearts go out to every victim and their families. We plan to offer our full cooperation to the authorities if necessary.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Salt Lake is committed to the highest standards of ethical conduct and integrity and will not tolerate any inappropriate or illegal activity on the part of employees, volunteers or youth. All employees are required to undergo thorough criminal background checks prior to employment and annually, and all supervisory procedures are designed to ensure the highest level of safety and security for club members and employees.

As this is an active police matter we are unable to comment further. Our commitment to our club members, their families and our community is unwavering. – Amanda Ree Gardner, president and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Salt Lake

Arrest documents list that an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent was involved in the arrest. Documents showed Baker was a U.S. citizen but was born in Germany.

KSL TV has contacted ICE for further details regarding his involvement in this arrest.

Child Abuse Resources:

• Utah Coalition Against Domestic Violence operates a confidential 24-hour national domestic violence hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465). Resources are also available online: udvc.org. The statewide child abuse and neglect hotline is 1-855-323-DCFS (3237).

Help with children

If you feel stressed with a child, need a break or feel like you need advice or training, you can contact one of the following places:

• The Family Support Center has 15 locations across the state and offers free crisis daycare for parents who need to meet appointments or are stressed. They also offer counseling and family support. Call 801-955-9110 or visit us Familysupportcenter.org/contact.php for more information.
• Prevent child abuse in Utah provides home visits in Weber, Davis and Box Elder counties. Parent educators provide support, education and activities for families with young children. Their nationwide education team provides various training on protective factors, digital safety, bullying and child trafficking. They are available for in-person or virtual training and offer free online courses to the community at pcautah.org.
• The office for home visits works with local agencies to provide home visits to pregnant women and young families who want to learn more about parenting. Home visitors are trained and can provide information about breastfeeding, developmental milestones, toilet training, nutrition, mental health, home safety, child development and more. Find out more at homevisiting.utah.gov.
• The Safe Haven Law allows birth parents in Utah to safely and anonymously relinquish custody of their newborn child at any hospital in the state, with no legal consequences and no questions asked. The child's mother can give up the child or the mother can ask someone else to do this for her. The newborns should be delivered to hospitals that are open 24 hours a day. Newborns delivered in this manner will be cared for by hospital staff and the Utah Division of Child and Family Services will find a home for the child. For more information, see utahsafehaven.org or call the 24-hour hotline at 866-458-0058.