REBECCA Producer, Ben Sprecher, Arrested for Child Pornography

According to the New York Post, Ben Sprecher, producer of the doomed Broadway musical Rebecca, was arrested today, August 13, for possession of child pornography.

Sprecher was taken into custody by the NYPD early this morning in his West Harlem home.

According to the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, "Child pornography targets the most innocent and vulnerable in our society. Today, Broadway producer, Ben Sprecher was arrested for allegedly possessing child pornography in his Manhattan home. Sexualizing young children is unconscionable and this Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to utilize all of the expertise and resources available to shine a light on every dark corner where it is produced, shared, and possessed."

The Associated Press added to the reporting, noting that Sprecher admitted to police he possessed child porn files, and that more than 100 were found including "a nearly 46-minute video of a pre-teen girl engaging in sex acts with an adult male."

Sprecher was a leading player in the drama surrounding the cancelation of Rebecca and the legal aftermath surrounding its failure. The musical, based on the classic novel by Daphne Du Maurier, was originally scheduled to open on Broadway in 2012, but was canceled after a series of financial setbacks, including the discovery of a mystery investor who turned out to be the fabrication of a scam artist.

Financier and stock broker Mark C. Hotton was sentenced to almost three years in jail in 2014 for defrauding the show's producers of $60,000 and for an unrelated $750,000 real estate scheme which prosecutors said featured some of the same deceptions used in the REBECCA fraud.

In the years following the saga, Sprecher and producing partner Louise Forlenza, continued to try to raise money for the show's Broadway debut, and had performance rights extended as late as December 2014. The duo no longer possesses rights to the show.

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