Penns Valley man heading to state prison after pleading guilty to sexual misconduct with children
A Spring Mills man who pleaded guilty to sexual misconduct with two children was sentenced Monday to spend the better part of the next half decade in state prison.
Merdith Baird, 72, was sentenced by Centre County Judge Jonathan Grine to at least four years in state prison. His maximum sentence is eight years. He received credit for nearly one year, nine months already served at the Centre County Correctional Facility.
The prison sentence would be followed by three years of probation. Baird declined comment before Grine handed down the sentence.
The father of at least one of the children didn’t hold back, calling Baird a “twisted” man who deserved the harshest possible punishment.
“I hope it haunts you for the rest of your life,” he told Baird. “... I hope you rot in hell.”
Baird pleaded guilty in July to one felony count each of aggravated indecent assault of someone younger than 13 and aggravated indecent assault of someone younger than 16. Five other felonies and one misdemeanor were dropped.
He was accused in January 2020 by state police at Rockview of digital penetration. Baird encouraged one of the girls not to say anything because “he could get in trouble,” police wrote in an affidavit of probable cause.
Defense lawyer Matt McClenahen declined comment.