LOGAN — A 34-year-old Logan man previously convicted of possessing child pornography has been arrested again for allegedly downloading child sexual abuse material and failing to register as a sex-offender, according to law enforcement. John Patrick Becker was taken into custody after two separate investigations were conducted.
According to an affidavit of probable cause, North Park Police officers were called to a local computer repair center in July. A technician had allegedly found child pornography on a device belonging to Becker.
At the same time, Logan City Police officers were called to Becker’s residence, after the suspect claimed he was being harassed online. He told police his Discord account, an app used by video gamers, had been hacked. The hackers learned about the Logan man’s criminal history and began notifying other people in his chat groups about his conviction.
As police investigated the case, they learned Becker had been using Discord and a gaming platform, Roblox, without registering the usernames on his sex offender registry. Police noted that both programs have become popular platforms for child sex predators, according to charging documents.
Officers attempted to interrogate Becker but he invoked his right to legal counsel and would not answer any questions.
In April 2019, Becker was convicted in Illinois of possession of child pornography, a second-degree felony.
According to court records, Becker appeared Oct. 6 in Logan’s 1st District Court. He has been charged with sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony; and failure to update the sex offender registry.
Becker remains in jail, being held without bail. He is scheduled to appear again in court Oct. 20 for a preliminary hearing, and could face up to 15 years in prison, if convicted.
Individuals arrested and charged in complaints are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.