A former paramedic and firefighter from St. Louis County, David S. Becker, 70, has been sentenced to 151 months in prison on charges related to child sexual abuse material. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Tuesday.
Judge Pitlyk also ordered Becker to pay $17,000 in restitution to victims depicted in child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and imposed a lifetime term of supervised release after his prison term.
In August, a federal jury convicted Becker of one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor and one count of possession of child pornography. Evidence presented during the trial showed that Becker communicated with an individual on a nudist website who claimed to be the mother of an 11-year-old girl in France. Their discussions included plans for sexual activity involving the child, and Becker sent this person an image containing CSAM in October 2022. He later purchased airline tickets to France and obtained an extended-stay visa, planning travel for June 2023.
Investigators were already examining a cyber tipline report about someone uploading CSAM when they executed a court-approved search at Becker’s home on May 22, 2023. During questioning, Becker admitted he planned to travel to France to meet the woman and her daughter. Authorities found CSAM on his electronic devices along with communications spanning years that outlined his intentions regarding the child.
After the trial concluded, more electronic devices surfaced showing further correspondence between Becker and another individual who also claimed to be the mother of a young girl.
At sentencing, Judge Pitlyk stated: “the evidence at trial showed both that he ‘fully intended’ to sexually abuse a child in France and the danger he poses to the community.”
The investigation involved the St. Louis County Police Department Special Investigations Unit, FBI, and Maryland Heights Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jillian Anderson and Michael Hayes prosecuted the case.
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood, a national initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at fighting child exploitation through coordinated efforts among federal, state, and local agencies as well as victim identification initiatives led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/psc.
