San Benito Probation Officer charged with possessing sexually explicit images of a minor

OAKLAND, Calif. - A San Benito County Probation officer has been charged with possessing sexually explicit images of a minor.

The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office filed three felony charges and a misdemeanor against Damon Jon Luecke, 53, of Gilroy.

"There are child predators lurking online," District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a press release. "The fact that this defendant was working in law enforcement — with children at one point — is deeply disturbing."

What we know:

Luecke is currently employed as an IT staff analyst with the San Benito County Probation Department. He had previously worked for 16 years with the San Mateo County Probation Department, including as a juvenile corrections officer and counselor at the Boys Ranch.

Luecke came under investigation after the mother of the 13-year-old victim discovered communications between her child and Luecke, on her child’s TikTok account.

Dig deeper:

The victim, in those conversations on TikTok, disclosed that he was 13. Luecke, despite knowing the victim’s age, continued engaging in sexually explicit conversations with him, discussing photographs and meeting in person.

Investigators obtained search warrants for the victim’s cell phone and online accounts, and recovered evidence that included sexually explicit images of the victim.

Luecke was taken into custody on Aug. 7, without incident. He was arraigned Wednesday afternoon.

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