Father Joseph Baker

Father Joseph “Jack” Baker was ordained in 1993. For nearly 30 years, he served as a priest in several churches throughout the Metro Detroit area, taking on roles such as pastor and associate pastor at Saint Perpetua Parish in Waterford, St. Mary Parish in Wayne, Sacred Heart Parish in Dearborn, and Saint Hugo of the Hills Parish in Bloomfield Hills.

In October 2004, Father Baker raped a seven-year-old boy in a church sacristy in Wayne, MI. After the assault, Father Baker manipulated the boy by telling him that the incident was “his own sin,” using his authority to shame the boy into silence.

By 2019, Father Baker was restricted from all public ministry.

Almost twenty years after the assault, the victim, now 26 years old, agreed to testify against Father Baker. He was convicted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct with sexual penetration and is currently held in the Wayne County jail awaiting sentencing. Father Baker faces up to 25 years in prison.