Michigan man accused of sexually abusing 14-year-old Ohio girl, leaving her at homeless shelter after

WESTLAND, Mich. (FOX 2) - A Michigan man is accused of driving a 14-year-old girl to the state, sexually abusing her, and then leaving her at a homeless shelter.

According to a federal court filing, the teen girl was reported missing to the Hancock County Sheriff's Office in Ohio after she didn't come home from school Dec. 9, 2022. Her parents contacted a friend of the girl, who told them she was picked up by someone named Danil Baker.

The friend said that the girl had been emailing Baker on her school laptop.

According to the girl's parents, they saw her texting someone the day before she was reported missing and took her phone away. Once she did not come home, her father looked through the phone and believed she was taken by Baker.

A reverse phone number search linked the number to 21-year-old Baker, of Saline, according to the court filing. Baker had sent the girl a photo, which investigators compared to photos of him. Once they determined he was the one talking to the child, they issued a Be On the Lookout alert and started geolocating his phone through the service provider.

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Police were able to use this information to find and talk to Baker at his home. At that point, he allegedly said he had been in contact with the victim but did not admit to physical contact.

That same night, Westland police were called to a grocery store to check on a girl crying in the bathroom. When they arrived, they found the missing child.

According to the court filing, the girl said a man named Danil picked her up from school in Ohio and brought her to Michigan. Once her parents arrived at the police station, the girl said Baker took her to several places in Michigan. She also said she performed several sex acts on Baker, the filing said.

After the girl was found, police advised Baker to call the Hancock Sheriff's Office. During his call with deputies, he allegedly admitted to bringing the girl to a park and mall in Michigan. He also said he tried to get a hotel room but was unable to. He admitted to finally dropping the child off at the homeless shelter and said he had kissed the victim, the court filing said.

Days later, investigators searched Baker's home, vehicle, and phone, and interviewed him. During this time, police allegedly found messages that showed he knew how old the child was. Baker told them he picked up the girl to get her away from an abusive home life. 

According to the court filing, he also admitted that the child performed sex acts on him before he left her at the homeless shelter.

Authorities are seeking charges of online enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and transportation with intent to engage in sexual activity against Baker, who also has a pending criminal sexual conduct case for alleged crimes against another 14-year-old.