Mayor Gary Becker and his defense attorney, Patrick Cafferty,at table left; DA Micheal Nieskes, right;
presiding is Court Commissioner Alice Rudebusch
A contracted city employee Mayor Gary Becker outsourced to save money turned over the evidence to police that led to Becker's arrest, according to a criminal complaint filed Thursday.
Read the criminal complaint against Gary Becker here.
The employee turned over Becker's personal computer to police after finding pictures of naked women on the hard drive. The employee had been asked to perform maintenance on Becker's home computer, which in itself is a crime, according to the criminal complaint.
If only this was a case of a mayor abusing his power to get free computer work done. In reality, it's much worse for Becker, who appeared in court Thursday to face charges of child enticement, attempted sexual assault of a girl under 16 and possession of child pornography. If convicted, he'll serve a minimum of three years ins prison.
City officials turned the computer over to state agents, who discovered a picture of a naked 10-year-old girl on Becker's computer. They also found over 1,800 online chats he'd conducted; many chats involved juveniles and sexually explicit language.
Agents then created a fake account and posed as a 14-year-old eighth-grader who agreed to meet Becker at Brookfield Square Mall on Tuesday night. Becker said he'd be there to take the teen/agent to Victoria's Secret and then to a hotel for sex.
District Attorney Mike Nieskes answers reporters' questions
Instead, he was greeted by Department of Criminal Investigations Agent Eric Szatkowski. Becker, 51, initially told the agent he was at the mall shopping for his wife at Victoria's Secret. He said he traveled all the way to Brookfield because too many people knew him in Racine, according to the complaint. When the agent confronted him about the Internet chat, he admitted that he had chatted with the girl.
Becker outsourced the city's computer work to a private company in his 2008 budget. He estimated the move would save the city $100,000 a year, but it wasn't warmly received by the employees themselves. Regardless, the charges against Becker are far more severe than any sort of City Hall squabble, and no contract employee drove the mayor to Brookfield to meet with an underage girl.
Appearing in court Thursday, Becker looked fine. He was well-dressed and shaved, attentive to the hearing and did nothing out of the ordinary. His only faux-pas may have been knocking over his chair will standing up to leave the hearing. He didn't glance at the small crowd - mostly media - that had gathered in the hearing room in the basement of the county's Law Enforcement Center.
Court Commissioner Alice Rudebusch presided over the hearing. District Attorney Mike Nieskes represented the prosecution. Defense attorney Patrick Cafferty represented Becker.
During the hearing. Rudebusch lowered Becker's bond to $10,000 cash at Cafferty's request; Becker had borrowed the $165,000 from a relative to get out of the Kenosha County Jail on Wednesday.
Nieskes requested restrictions on Becker's bail, including: no computer use, no drinking, no leaving Racine County without court permission, and no contact with underage children, except for his daughter. Rudebusch agreed.
Becker is next scheduled in court on Feb. 10 to enter his plea.
Following the hearing, Nieskes said it was too early to say if the trial would be moved to a new jurisdiction.
He added that he knew about the investigation about a week before the arrest was made. He also said that even without the arrest there was enough evidence to charge Becker with crimes.
When asked if the case would be different because it involved the mayor, Nieskes said it was his responsibilty to enforce laws and protect the public.
"Persons who engage in this types of activities are dangerous," he said.
Becker chatted on Yahoo Instant Messenger as WISC_GARY and m reed. The agent's name in the chat was Hope_Ulikeme14.
The conversation that led to the meeting at Brookfield Square Mall was explicit, with several references to sex. In the chat, Becker pleaded with the girl to send him a picture and to engage in phone sex with him.
He also gave the girl his cell phone number, which a DCI analyst called to confirm the meeting. During that call, Becker said: "We better chat more, this is too dangerous." Then, he asked the analyst if she was a "cop," and said he had to be careful and only buy her a soda.
When he arrived at the mall, the authorities were waiting.
If only this was a case of a mayor abusing his power to get free computer work done. In reality, it's much worse for Becker, who appeared in court Thursday to face charges of child enticement, attempted sexual assault of a girl under 16 and possession of child pornography. If convicted, he'll serve a minimum of three years ins prison.
City officials turned the computer over to state agents, who discovered a picture of a naked 10-year-old girl on Becker's computer. They also found over 1,800 online chats he'd conducted; many chats involved juveniles and sexually explicit language.
Agents then created a fake account and posed as a 14-year-old eighth-grader who agreed to meet Becker at Brookfield Square Mall on Tuesday night. Becker said he'd be there to take the teen/agent to Victoria's Secret and then to a hotel for sex.
District Attorney Mike Nieskes answers reporters' questionsInstead, he was greeted by Department of Criminal Investigations Agent Eric Szatkowski. Becker, 51, initially told the agent he was at the mall shopping for his wife at Victoria's Secret. He said he traveled all the way to Brookfield because too many people knew him in Racine, according to the complaint. When the agent confronted him about the Internet chat, he admitted that he had chatted with the girl.
Becker outsourced the city's computer work to a private company in his 2008 budget. He estimated the move would save the city $100,000 a year, but it wasn't warmly received by the employees themselves. Regardless, the charges against Becker are far more severe than any sort of City Hall squabble, and no contract employee drove the mayor to Brookfield to meet with an underage girl.
Appearing in court Thursday, Becker looked fine. He was well-dressed and shaved, attentive to the hearing and did nothing out of the ordinary. His only faux-pas may have been knocking over his chair will standing up to leave the hearing. He didn't glance at the small crowd - mostly media - that had gathered in the hearing room in the basement of the county's Law Enforcement Center.
Court Commissioner Alice Rudebusch presided over the hearing. District Attorney Mike Nieskes represented the prosecution. Defense attorney Patrick Cafferty represented Becker.
During the hearing. Rudebusch lowered Becker's bond to $10,000 cash at Cafferty's request; Becker had borrowed the $165,000 from a relative to get out of the Kenosha County Jail on Wednesday.
Nieskes requested restrictions on Becker's bail, including: no computer use, no drinking, no leaving Racine County without court permission, and no contact with underage children, except for his daughter. Rudebusch agreed.
Becker is next scheduled in court on Feb. 10 to enter his plea.
Following the hearing, Nieskes said it was too early to say if the trial would be moved to a new jurisdiction.
He added that he knew about the investigation about a week before the arrest was made. He also said that even without the arrest there was enough evidence to charge Becker with crimes.
When asked if the case would be different because it involved the mayor, Nieskes said it was his responsibilty to enforce laws and protect the public.
"Persons who engage in this types of activities are dangerous," he said.
Becker chatted on Yahoo Instant Messenger as WISC_GARY and m reed. The agent's name in the chat was Hope_Ulikeme14.
The conversation that led to the meeting at Brookfield Square Mall was explicit, with several references to sex. In the chat, Becker pleaded with the girl to send him a picture and to engage in phone sex with him.
He also gave the girl his cell phone number, which a DCI analyst called to confirm the meeting. During that call, Becker said: "We better chat more, this is too dangerous." Then, he asked the analyst if she was a "cop," and said he had to be careful and only buy her a soda.
When he arrived at the mall, the authorities were waiting.
A sick man who needs to resign.
ReplyDeleteBrookfield Square, not Bayshore Mall, right?
ReplyDeleteWell, shame on him for asking contract IT employees to perform a "government job" on his personal home computer! What was he thinking?
ReplyDeleteYes, Brookfield Square. I corrected the initial version. Thanks!
ReplyDeletePolice Chief Wahlen should also resign for his actions (better yet "lack of actions") in this case.
ReplyDeleteThis is the most responsible, clear and interestingly written (style) presentation of this sordid story among the local media outlets. Is anyone asking about the multiple years worth of victims here? I've heard dozens of first account stories of young women who have been publicly, verbally, and emotionally abased by the accused.
ReplyDeleteThe complaint is not written clearly. Paul Burdick did not give the 2007 information to Chief Wahlen until the last week or so after the recent discovery was made. That fact is made clear on the JT's website today. Lay off Chief Wahlen. He did things the right way.
ReplyDeleteGary Becker is a Democrat, right? I'm assuming if he was a Republican it would have been included in every story.
ReplyDeleteWhy would the court leave this man access to his daughter? This would place her in danger as well.
ReplyDeleteI have a greater concern. Becker always hung out around the Oasis. He never would enforce the noise violations. It almost seemed as if he didn't want the police around, down at the Oasis. Then the city builds a play ground right next to the Oasis. Seems a little to convenient for Becker.
ReplyDeleteSome good police follow-up should be conducted on Becker and his activites. Perhaps a little checking as to what was going on at the Oasis would be a good idea.
Think of it he has them all there in their swim suites.
What a sick man..
ReplyDeleteThanks for making Racine look like trash Gary Becker.
wow the say the number and everything... 262.880.3375
ReplyDeletego call it