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Florissant male foster parents accused of abusing their foster children for years

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — Two foster parents are facing charges after 
Florissant police said they sexually abused the children they were 
fostering for years.

Michael Moore, 63, and Berlin Baldwin, 43, were each charged with multiple 
counts of sodomy and statutory sodomy in connection with alleged abuse 
between November 2020 and January 2025.

Florissant Police Chief Tim Fagan said in November, their department 
initiated an investigation after receiving a referral from the St. Louis 
County Children’s Division regarding allegations of sexual abuse. 

Detectives found four male victims between the ages of 8 and 15 who said 
Moore and Baldwin sexually assaulted them in their Florissant home on 
Gateswood Drive. 

"These are people that were at a vulnerable time in their life and they 
were looking for a safe space and they were taken advantage of, and I 
think that's the real tragedy here, among other things." Fagan shared, "I 
think any time you have a case like this where there are multiple victims, 
we're always concerned that there could be more people out there."

Both men were taken into custody this week and were charged with seven 
counts of second-degree statutory sodomy and two counts of second-degree 
sodomy.

"What stands out is that they probably really made sure that they had 
access to children and use their position as foster parents to gain access 
to very vulnerable children who would likely be at risk," shared Amy 
Robins, a forensic interviewer with the St. Louis Children's Advocacy 
Center.

Robins said the state should have regular home visits and individual 
check-ins with children.

"You have to give kids an opportunity to disclose. For instance, if you're 
only going to see them within a home setting and the potential offender is 
right outside the door or in the next room that would be really 
intimidating for a child to be able to find the courage to speak of 
someone who is there and responsible for meeting all of your basic needs 
on top of it," added Robins. 

Robins also notes what male victims may be facing.

"There's a lot of stereotypes that come with that, concerns on whether 
they will be believed, a fear of questioning their own sexuality, and a 
lot of that is used in the manipulation and grooming of those victims from 
the beginning or onset of their abuse. So those are just additional 
factors that unfortunately play a part when you have a male victim," said 
Robins.

5 On Your Side reached out to Missouri Department of Social Services, who 
oversees the children's division. 5 On Your Side asked how long the two 
have been foster parents, how many children they have fostered, and if 
there had been any previous reports.

A spokesperson shared this statement:

"Under Missouri Law (Section 210.150, RSMo), the Department of Social 
Services Children Division (CD) records are closed and confidential and 
can only be released under very limited circumstances. While we cannot 
discuss specific cases, CD’s role includes assisting local law enforcement 
as allowed by statute and responding to reports made to the Child Abuse 
and Neglect Hotline at 1-800-392-3738. The safety and welfare of 
Missouri’s children remains the department’s utmost priority in every 
action we take."

That's why 5 On Your Side filed a public records requests to get more 
information.

A spokesperson with Florissant police said in 2022, they were called to 
that same home for a similar allegation, but the case was reviewed with 
the prosecutor’s office and insufficient information was found at the 
time.

As this case continues, other potential victims can act now.

St. Louis County prosecutor Melissa Price Smith shared, "We want victims 
to know, your voice matters and when you come forward, you will not be in 
this alone."

Both men are being held on $750,000, cash-only bonds.

On Wednesday, both men made their first court appearance. They'll be back 
in court Feb. 11 for a bond reduction hearing.

The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information about the case 
or who believes they may be a victim is asked to call the Florissant 
Police Department at 314-831-7000.

https://media.ksdk.com/assets/KSDK/images/e83fb5c5-7c5c-40e7-9361-
85a3b7619737/20260204T163108/e83fb5c5-7c5c-40e7-9361-
85a3b7619737_1920x1080.jpg

Michael Moore(L) and Berlin Baldwin(R) were each charged with multiple 
counts of sodomy and statutory sodomy in connection with alleged abuse.

https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/crime/foster-parents-accused-abusing-
their-foster-children-years/63-852035b9-648b-47c7-8c25-bceb6b285d4d

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Florissant male foster parents accused of abusing their foster children for years Mason Mcgowan <someone@outlook.com> - 2026-02-08 03:06 +0000

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