The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office has charged a San Benito County Probation Department employee with possessing sexually explicit images of a 13-year-old he was communicating with on TikTok.

Damon Jon Luecke, 53, of Gilroy, had been communicating with the juvenile through social media and ultimately met with him in person. The victim’s mother discovered the communications and contacted police.

Luecke was to be arraigned Aug. 12 on three felonies and a misdemeanor in the South County Courthouse in Morgan Hill.

Luecke is currently employed as an IT staff analyst with the San Benito County Probation Department. Prior to that, he worked approximately 16 years with the San Mateo County Probation Department, including as a juvenile corrections officer/counselor at the Boys Ranch.

“There are child predators lurking online,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said. “The fact that this defendant was working in law enforcement – with children at one point – is deeply disturbing.”

The investigation began after the victim’s mother discovered communications between the victim and Luecke on the victim’s TikTok account. During those communications, the victim specifically disclosed that he was 13. Despite knowing the victim’s age, Luecke continued engaging in sexually explicit conversations with him, discussing photographs and meeting in person.

Search warrants were obtained for the victim’s cellular phone and online accounts. Evidence recovered from the phone and online accounts included sexually explicit images of the victim.

On Aug. 7, Luecke was taken into custody without incident at his residence.

Anyone with relevant information about this case or defendant can contact the Gilroy Police Department at (408) 846-0368.