A longtime New Jersey school administrator is facing criminal charges after police say he was caught on home surveillance video peering into a young girl's bedroom window in Pipersville, Pennsylvania earlier this month. Winfield “Tripp” Becker, 48, has been identified as the man accused in the case, and he also happens to be the Athletic Director for the Hopewell Valley Regional School District, a position he has held since at least 2015.
According to NBC10 Philadelphia, police responded to a home along Split Log Drive in Pipersville on Aug. 6, arriving at around 10:41 p.m. after a homeowner shared surveillance video showing a man involved in the incident. Officers say the individual was known to the victim and lived nearby as a neighbor. Becker, who lives on Cabin Run Road, was later identified by KYW Newsradio.
The geography behind the case adds an unsettling wrinkle: court documents cited by The Philadelphia Inquirer show that Becker's home in the Cabin Run development sits just one street over from the victim's residence on Split Log Drive. Officials charged Becker with loitering and prowling at night, while court documents also indicate he was charged with summary harassment stemming from the same Aug. 6 incident.
Cameras Installed After Months of Late-Night Disturbances
The Inquirer's reporting, drawn from an affidavit of probable cause, reveals the surveillance camera that caught the alleged incident wasn't a routine addition. The victim's mother installed the exterior camera after an unidentified individual had spent months repeatedly knocking on her daughter's bedroom window at night before running off, according to the affidavit. The family installed the cameras specifically in response to that pattern of unexplained late-night activity, and it was that same equipment that ultimately captured the Aug. 6 incident.
Loitering and prowling at night is graded as a third-degree misdemeanor under Pennsylvania law, per Plumstead Township Police Department's CRIMEWATCH filing, carrying a potential penalty of up to one year in prison upon conviction. Officers with the department formally issued a summons to Becker on Aug. 11, and his preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 8 at 10:30 a.m. before Magisterial District Judge Gary Gambardella in Ottsville.
School District Responds Ahead of Fall Sports Season
Becker's role within Hopewell Valley Regional School District extends beyond athletics. District administration documents list him not only as Athletic Director but also as the district's Title IX Coordinator, the official responsible for handling federal sex-based discrimination and harassment compliance across the district.
Superintendent Dr. Rosetta Treece told MercerMe that Becker self-reported the pending criminal charges to school administration, in keeping with district employee reporting requirements — the mechanism by which school officials first learned of the off-duty, out-of-state matter. District notifications sent to parents on Aug. 15 confirmed that Treece has barred Becker from all school property, and the Hopewell Valley Regional School District has placed him on administrative leave pending the outcome of the charges. The district said it has begun securing temporary coverage for the athletic department just weeks ahead of the fall sports season.
The Hopewell Valley Regional School District, headquartered in Pennington, New Jersey, operates six public schools serving roughly 3,400 to 3,500 students across Mercer County. Becker has served as Athletic Director overseeing grades 6 through 12, and as supervisor of wellness across the middle and high school levels, since at least 2015.
Defense Calls Allegations Baseless
Becker's attorney, Thomas Logan, issued a statement to local media pushing back on the accusations. “We look forward to his appearance in court where he can vindicate his name against these baseless accusations,” Logan said, according to The Trentonian.
The charges remain pending, and no determination has been made in court. Becker's preliminary hearing on Sept. 8 will mark the next step in a case that has already upended leadership within one of Mercer County's largest school districts just as fall practices are set to begin.
