Bail Lowered for Former Priest Accused of Abuse
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A court commissioner on Friday lowered to $800,000 the bail set for a former Roman Catholic priest accused of molesting a boy.
Michael Stephen Baker, 54, of Long Beach has been held in Men’s Central Jail since his Aug. 15 arrest. He is charged with 13 counts of committing a lewd act upon a child and 16 counts of oral copulation.
Prosecutors say the alleged crimes involved a male victim and took place between 1976 and 1985. The boy was 9 when the sexual abuse allegedly began.
Baker faces up to 26 years in prison if convicted on all counts.
His bail had been set at $1 million. Los Angeles County Superior Court Commissioner Ross M. Klein reduced it on a motion by Baker’s criminal defense attorney, Donald Steier.
Baker is set to be arraigned Oct. 17 in the Downey Courthouse.
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