A reminder of the reality of child abuse is fading into distant memory now that abused 6-month-old Camren Anthony Baker is at home and healthy, and the alleged abuser is behind bars waiting for trial. But evidence of prior abuse has yet to be explained, no perpertrator has been charged, and for the baby’s assumed father, “Things are getting too tangled now.”

Unfolding from a simple abuse-and-arrest case with a few stray ends is a complicated network of friends, family and teen pregnancies, with unknown child abusers, and three children possibly left without fathers for at least a few years.

On Thursday, May 17 Jaime Swan had been attending classes at Andover College and had left her child, Camren Baker, in the care of Steven Waterman, who was Swan’s boyfriend at the time. When Swan returned home in the afternoon Waterman quickly left, saying only that Camren was asleep. When Swan checked on Camren she found the child seriously injured.

Moments later Pam Baker arrived unexpectedly at Swan’s Main Street apartment. Baker, the child’s supposed paternal grandmother (a paternity test is to be done later this month), and Swan took the baby to the Maine Medical Center emergency room, where doctors alerted Westbrook Police and the Department of Health and Human Services of a case of suspected child abuse.

Shortly after questioning Swan, Westbrook police arrested Waterman at his mother’s house on East Valentine Street. Waterman initially tried to cover up what happened, but then admitted to hurting the baby.

Waterman said he “lost it” when Camren wouldn’t stop crying and he was trying to sleep. He shook the baby and slammed him on the bed. The police report also notes doctors finding hand print-shaped bruise on his face. The baby had been beaten severely.

But in addition to the 25 fractures, serious bruising and hemorraghing behind the eyes, Camren was also found to have several older injuries, including two fractures and some bruising on his brain. The police report on the case states doctors considered some of the brain bruising “days to weeks old.”

There are no restrictions on any one having contact with the abused 6-month-old Camren Baker, except that 27-year-old Aimee Doane – Swan’s older sister – must be there.

Waterman was charged with two felony counts of aggravated assault, and one felony count of assualt of a minor, all in relation to the May 17 incident, leaving several serious injuries without an identified perpetrator.

The Department of Health and Human serivces can’t comment on the case, or even verify that they have a case.

According to Evelyn Blanchard, Executive Director of Mission Possible Teen Center in Westbrook, and also a former employee of the department, the department’s workers are “incredibly stretched” and have “huge caseloads.” Dr. Lawrence Ricci, Director of the Spurwink Child Abuse Program, said that it is often impossible to identify a perpertrator with old injuries because of the number of care takers a child has been in contact with over any period of time.

Swan said that she had left Camren in Waterman’s care only once before, and her younger brother was there the whole time. Swan accuses the Baker family of the previous abuse. Shawn Baker has accused Swan, but has since reneged on his words, and isn’t sure where the previous abuse came from, though he assumes it to be Waterman.

While in jail, Waterman leaves his own 5-month-old daughter behind with her 17-year-old mother. Waterman has been court ordered to have no direct or indirect contact with minors, including his own child.

Jaime Swan, 20, is also the mother of Emma Fogg, 3, whose father is Chris Fogg. Fogg and Swan had dated for five years before the relationship ended. Swan said the break-up involved a domestic violence issue. Emma is currently with her father, though Swan said he has been supportive throughout the ordeal with Camren, and brings Emma to Doane’s home ot play with her brother and three cousins.

But Camren Baker, the abused baby taken to the hospital last month, is the supposed son of Shawn Baker, a 19-year-old living in indham. Baker is certain the child is his. Swan is not. The two have known each other for more than 10 years.

Baker himself – like Waterman – is awaiting trial. Baker’s charges were just bumped up last week from five to 11 charges, all relating to a relationship beetween Baker and a 14-year-old. The charges incldue sexual assault of a minor and sexual exploitation of a minor. Baker pleaed not guilty on June 5. If Baker is found guilty on all charges, he faces a maximum sentence of forty years, leaving Camren Baker behind, if Camren is indeed his son.

And here comes Swan pregnant again, with her third child in as many years, this one belonging to Steven Waterman, the 19-year-old in jail. Swan said she is about 12 weeks pregnant, but hasn’t gone to the doctor yet. When the child comes, and if Waterman goes to prison for the alleged crimes, it would be Waterman’s second child he’d be leaving behind.

The only ones left with a clean record are 3-year-old Emma Fogg, 6-month-old Camren Baker, Jamie Swan herself and Doane, the sister whose custody Camren is in right now.

The custody, according to Doane and Swan, is for the protection of Swan and Camren Baker from Shawn Baker and his mother Pam. Swan described Pam Baker as being excessively zealous in her attempts to babysit Camren.

Swan said Baker was her first kiss, when she was 10 years old. Right now, Swan is fairly well done with Baker, and wants nothing to do with him. She kicked him out of the hospital when he was visiting Camren, showing the nurses Camren’s birth certificate and the fact that Shawn Baker is not on it, and has no legal right to be there.

Copy the Story Link