U.S. Pedophile Released From Costa Rica Prison 15 Years Early

Joe Baker was released after serving about 10 years of a 24 year sentence from a Puntarenas Prison for exploiting underage children.

Updated on 5/27/10 – TicoTimes Editors note: Joe Baker has a Facebook account, please NO THREATS, but might want to let him know how you feel….

In June 1999 Costa Rica passed a law against the sexual exploitation of minors. “With this law, we say to foreigners who want to come here to abuse our children that they will find a jail cell waiting for them,” said then President Miguel Angel Rodriguez at the signing ceremony.

Rodriguez later added that those convicted under the law would serve the full sentence with no chance of appeal or early release.

In July, 2007, President Oscar Arias toughened the country’s laws against sexual exploitation of minors, banning possession of child pornography and extending the statute of limitations for sex crimes against minors. The government finally had become particularly sensitive to suggestions that foreign tourists came to Costa Rica to sexually exploit underage children, and wanted the world to know that pedophilia has serious consequences and will not be tolerated.

However, it appears that these exploitation laws are not being enforced. Costa Rica is experiencing a meltdown in its court system. This is especially true in this particular case, which has caused a huge public outcry because it has threatened the safety of our children.

In 1996, Boston dentist Arthur Kanev and Oklahoma City dog trainer Joe Baker arrived in Costa Rica and started to exploit young girls and boys. In January 1999 they were arrested after several underage girls testified that they were lured off the streets by offers of $40 to join parties with foreign men at Mr. Kanev’s luxury beach house outside Quepos. The girls were drugged, raped and photographed. More than 300 nude photographs of girls between 11 and 16 were found on the premises.

Both Baker and Kanev posted bail, and while their case awaited trial, continued to  regularly abuse underage girls until Kanev fled to the United States (rumored to have been helped by the Russian mafia), hiding out to avoid prosecution.

Arthur Kanev, handcuffs covered by a jacket, and flanked by law enforcers, becomes the first US citizen to be extradited to Costa Rica for sexual abuse of children.

After a delay of three years, in March, 2002, US citizen Joseph Curtis Baker was convicted of supplying drugs to minors and sentenced to 24 years in prison. According to the courts there was insufficient evidence for conviction on other charges of production of child pornography and sexual abuse of children.

Meanwhile, Kanev became headline news, because he was the first U.S. citizen ever to be extradited to Costa Rica after being caught in Florida in August 2003 when a neighbor recognized him while watching the popular TV show “America’s Most Wanted” – even though the United States and Costa Rica have had an extradition treaty for years.

Joe Baker was released earlier this month after doing less than 10 years of his 24-year sentence.  Costa Rican’s were shocked at the early release, and many have posted the alarming news on Twitter and Facebook, including on our Tico Times Directory Facebook.

We also have received emails claiming that Baker has rented a room in the center of the small town of Esterillos (a few miles north of Quepos), right in the same area where he first sexually exploited underage children.

Related Post: Sexual Predator take Job in Esterillos

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