A St. Louis County man, David S. Becker, 69, faces a grim future after being convicted on Wednesday of child sex-related charges. According to details reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Missouri, Becker was found guilty on one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor and one count of receiving/distributing child pornography. The verdict concluded a trial that laid out a disturbing narrative, showcasing Becker's correspondence on a nudist website with an individual posing as the mother of an 11-year-old girl in France—discussions fraught with illicit intentions.
Wading through the evidence, jurors heard how Becker purchased plane tickets for France and obtained an extended-stay visa, with plans laid in June 2023. However, tangled in his own web of deceit, investigators who were looking into a cyber tipline report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, stumbled upon someone uploading child sexual abuse material (CSAM) which led them straight to Becker's electronic devices, stuffed with CSAM and years of vile communications. During a court-approved search on May 22, 2023, having been ensnared by his own actions, Becker admitted to his plans for the trip to meet the fictitious mother and her daughter.
"Deranged and unnatural," is how Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson described Becker's conduct in her opening statement—a characterization echoed by the jury's verdict. With the conviction now behind him, Becker awaits sentencing on December 1, potentially facing a lifetime behind bars, as he was told by the court that the coercion charge comes with a penalty of 10 years to life in prison and the child pornography charge, up to 20 years, as per the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Uniting forces against the scourge of child exploitation, the St. Louis County Police Dept. Special Investigations Unit, the FBI, and the Maryland Heights Police Department were the investigating agencies leading to Becker's capture. The case, prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jillian Anderson and Michael Hayes, is part of Project Safe Childhood.
