A St. Louis County man was convicted Wednesday on child sex-related charges following a jury trial that began earlier in the week.
David S. Becker, 69, was found guilty of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor as well as receiving and distributing child pornography. Evidence presented at trial indicated Becker communicated with an individual on a nudist website who claimed to be the mother of an 11-year-old girl in France. The two discussed sexual activity involving themselves and the child. According to testimony, Becker purchased plane tickets to France and obtained an extended-stay visa with plans to travel there in June 2023.
Authorities were investigating a cyber tipline report submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding someone uploading child sexual abuse material (CSAM). On May 22, 2023, investigators executed a court-approved search warrant at Becker’s residence. During questioning, Becker admitted his intention to travel to France to meet the woman and her daughter. Investigators discovered CSAM on his electronic devices along with years of communications about plans to sexually abuse the child.
In her opening statement, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson described Becker’s actions as “deranged and unnatural.”
Becker is scheduled for sentencing on December 1. The charge of attempted coercion carries a sentence ranging from ten years to life imprisonment; the child pornography charge has a maximum penalty of twenty years.
The investigation involved the St. Louis County Police Department Special Investigations Unit, the FBI, and Maryland Heights Police Department. Prosecutors are Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jillian Anderson and Michael Hayes.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, which is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices together with the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section. The initiative coordinates federal, state, and local resources against online exploitation crimes targeting children while also working toward identifying victims (https://www.justice.gov/psc).
