A New Jersey school athletic director charged with peering into a young girl’s bedroom window has been placed on administrative leave.
Winfield A. “Tripp” Becker, 48, who serves as athletic director for the Hopewell Valley Regional School District in Mercer County, New Jersey, was arrested after an Aug. 6 incident in the Cabin Run development in Plumstead Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Officers were dispatched to an address on Split Log Drive at approximately 10:41 p.m. Following a report of an adult male peering into a young female’s bedroom window, according to the Plumstead Township Police Department.
The homeowner’s video surveillance captured the incident, which led police to identify Becker as a Cabin Run resident and neighbor of the complainant. He was charged with loitering and prowling at nighttime, a third-degree misdemeanor, and summary harassment, court records show.
Becker has served as athletic director for grades 6 through 12 and as supervisor of wellness for the Hopewell Valley Regional School District since at least 2015, according to district records. The district, located near Princeton, serves over 3,500 students in pre-K through 12th grade.
Hopewell Valley Regional Superintendent Rosetta Treece notified district families of the charges in a letter obtained by The Trentonian, though she did not name Becker directly. “The allegations against this individual do not involve conduct within the district and are not related to any district students,” Treece wrote in the letter.
In an interview with MercerMe, Treece said the district learned of the matter when Becker self-reported, as required under board policy. “He let us know right away because that’s our board policy,” Treece said, adding that Becker “followed all the proper protocol” in notifying officials. Treece said the employee has been placed on administrative leave in line with district policy, and noted that the matter is unrelated to his work in the district and is being handled solely by Pennsylvania law enforcement.
Becker’s attorney Thomas Logan said in a statement, “We look forward to his appearance in court where he can vindicate his name against these baseless accusations.”
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 8 before Judge Gambardella at 276 Tabor Rd. In Ottsville, Pennsylvania.
In the viral moment that sparked the charges, Becker was allegedly caught on camera leering at the girl from just outside her window around 10:40 p.m. On Aug. 6. The footage was turned over to police by the homeowner, leading to Becker’s arrest and identification as the neighbor. The incident took place in the Cabin Run development, a residential area in Plumstead Township, Bucks County, about an hour northeast of Philadelphia and just across the New Jersey border from where Becker worked.
Becker remains on leave from the district pending the outcome of the Pennsylvania court proceedings.