Racine Mayor Jailed for Alleged Porn, Solicitation of Minor

Racine Mayor Gary Becker was arrested Tuesday for charges involving child pornography and solicitation of a minor.

RACINE, Wis. (AP) -- Racine Mayor Gary Becker was arrested Tuesday for charges involving child pornography and solicitation of a minor, city officials said Wednesday.

Becker, who was first elected in 2003, was arrested on multiple felony counts, including solicitation of a minor, city administrator Ben Hughes told The Journal Times in Racine.

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No formal charges have been filed yet by the Kenosha County district attorney. A staff member told The Associated Press the case is under review.

The 51-year-old Becker was held Wednesday in the Kenosha County Jail on a $165,000 cash bond.

Becker was taken into custody Tuesday by agents from the state Division of Criminal Investigation at a shopping mall outside of Milwaukee, Hughes said.

City Council President David Maack said he received a call about 12:20 a.m. Wednesday from Racine Police Chief Kurt Wahlen, who said Becker had been arrested for charges involving child pornography as part of an ongoing investigation.

Maack said he was "shocked and disappointed" by the news and had alerted the city's other aldermen. He said he will serve as acting mayor for the time being. He was not sure what would happen if Becker could not finish his term.

"I need to sit down with the city attorney and look at what the succession plan would be for a situation like this," Maack said. "The mayor is still the mayor at this point."

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Information from: The Journal Times, http://www.journaltimes.com

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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