A 27-year-old Venus man is in jail on 11 felony child-exploitation counts after state police say messages and images pulled from his phone involved talk of sexual acts with a young child.
Zared Donivan Baker was arraigned Thursday and is being held in Venango County Prison after failing to post $100,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is set for June 3 at Venango County Central Court.
Franklin-based state troopers filed the criminal complaint on May 28 in the office of Magisterial District Judge Patrick E. Lowrey. Baker is facing seven counts of sexual abuse of children - child sexual abuse material (felony 2) and four felony 3 counts, along with a felony charge of criminal use of a communication facility and a misdemeanor for producing or directing an obscene performance involving a minor, according to Explore Clarion.
The case started after a known person reported to state police on March 23 that Baker had allegedly used Snapchat to communicate about sexually abusing a four-year-old, the complaint states. Troopers say they later combed through hundreds of Snapchat messages exchanged between October 2021 and February 2023.
According to investigators, Baker’s phone was seized at Fort Benning on March 26 while he was there for Army basic training. A Northwest computer-crime lab examined the device, and authorities say they found dozens of images that allegedly show prepubescent children and minors involved in prohibited sexual acts.
What the charges mean
Under Pennsylvania law, photographing or otherwise creating sexual images of minors falls under the state’s sexual-abuse statutes. The criminal complaint cites the child-sexual-abuse material provisions outlined in 18 Pa.C.S. § 6312, which can be graded as felony offenses in many situations.
Sentencing rules in Pennsylvania set maximum terms of up to 10 years for a second-degree felony and up to seven years for a third-degree felony, with judges relying on guidelines and aggravating factors to determine actual terms, particularly when victims are very young or when large numbers of images are involved, per 18 Pa.C.S. § 1103.
The case was filed by troopers from the Franklin barracks of the Pennsylvania State Police Troop E, which covers Venango County, according to the Pennsylvania State Police Troop E directory.
Next steps
According to Explore Clarion, Baker remains lodged in Venango County Prison after his May 28 arraignment, unable to post the $100,000 monetary bail set in the case. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 3 at Venango County Central Court.
The charges are allegations at this stage, and the case will move through preliminary proceedings before any potential trial.
