Former juvenile probation officer charged with having sexual TikTok relationship with boy

GILROY — A retired San Mateo County juvenile probation officer currently working for the San Benito County probation department has been arrested and charged with engaging in a sexual relationship with an underage boy on TikTok, including extracting explicit images of the youth, authorities said.

Damon Jon Luecke, 53, was arrested Aug. 7 at his Gilroy home and was subsequently charged with three felonies and a misdemeanor accusing him of contacting a minor with intent to commit a sexual offense, arranging a meeting with a minor, possession of child sexual abuse material, and annoying or molesting a minor, according to Gilroy police and the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office.

“The fact that this defendant was working in law enforcement – with children at one point – is deeply disturbing,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a statement.

According to investigators, the mother of the reported victim discovered sexually explicit communication with Luecke on her 13-year-old son’s TikTok social media account. The messaging reportedly showed evidence that the boy made clear how old he was and that Luecke carried on illicit conversations with him.

Police and prosecutors said an examination of Lucke’s phone and online accounts turned up sexually graphic images of the victim.

“Despite knowing the victim’s age, Luecke continued engaging in sexually explicit conversations with him, discussing photographs and meeting in person,” reads a news release from the DA’s office. A Gilroy news release on the arrest added that at one point, Luecke “subsequently met with the juvenile.”

According to police and public employment records, Luecke worked for 16 years with the San Mateo County Probation Department, working as a juvenile corrections officer and counselor at a boys and also on IT work there. He retired from the San Mateo County agency in 2023, and soon after took a job as an IT staff analyst with the counterpart agency in San Benito County.

Gilroy police stated Tuesday that because of Luecke’s extensive contact and work with minors, they are exploring if there are other people who experienced misconduct by him. Anyone with information for investigators can contact the police department at 408-846-0368 or email Detective Michael Cupak at [email protected] or Sgt. Kenneth Ellsworth at [email protected].