Boys & Girls Club releases statement on employee arrested on child molestation charges

MURRAY, Utah (KUTV) – The Boys and Girls Club of Murray responded after the teen program director was arrested on suspicion of multiple child sexual abuse charges.

The club released a statement after learning of the arrest:

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.

According to court documents, 25-year-old Patrick Robert Baker texted someone he believed to be a 5-year-old boy over the internet and a text messaging app.

Police said Baker asked the victim to perform sexual acts on him.

An agreed location was set up where Baker was arrested by police after attempting to escape.

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Police said Baker admitted to having child pornography on his cell phone.

Baker was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on Monday. He faces charges of sodomy of a child, enticement of a minor and sexual exploitation of a minor.

Boys and Girls Club officials say he worked at the facility for a few months.

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