A San Benito County Probation Department employee has been charged with possession of sexually explicit images of a 13-year-old he was communicating with on social media, according to authorities.
Damon Jon Luecke, 53, of Gilroy, was charged by the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office with three felonies and a misdemeanor, the DA’s office said in an Aug. 11 press release. Luecke is scheduled for an arraignment on Aug. 12 at the South County Courthouse in Morgan Hill.
Luecke had been communicating with the juvenile through TikTok and ultimately met the child in person, the DA’s office said. During the communications, the victim told Luecke that he was 13, but the suspect continued sexually explicit conversations with him.
The suspect allegedly discussed photographs and a meeting in person with the victim, authorities said.
The DA’s investigation began after the victim’s mother discovered the communications and contacted police in late July, according to the Gilroy Police Department. Authorities obtained search warrants for the victim’s cellular phone and online accounts.
Evidence recovered from the phone and accounts includes sexually explicit images of the victim, and identified Luecke as the suspect, authorities said.
Gilroy Police arrested Luecke at his home on Aug. 7.
“There are child predators lurking online,” DA Jeff Rosen said. “The fact that this defendant was working in law enforcement—with children at one point—is deeply disturbing.”
The DA’s office said Luecke is currently employed as an IT staff analyst with the San Benito County Probation Department. Before that, he worked about 16 years for the San Mateo County Probation Department, including as a juvenile corrections officer and counselor at the Boys Ranch.
A statement from Gilroy Police added that from October 2014 until December 2020, Luecke worked on an IT project until returning to the role of juvenile corrections/counselor in December 2020. He remained in that position until retiring in March 2023.
“Because Luecke’s prior employment placed him in contact with juveniles, investigators are seeking to identify anyone who may have had similar or concerning interactions with him,” said the Gilroy Police Department statement.
Anyone with information about this case can call Gilroy Police at 408.846.0368.
