McClung, Becker offer differing accounts of texts

Eureka Springs City Council member Terry McClung says he sent Allyson Rose Becker a text message explaining that an unsolicited nude photo he sent to her was sent in error and asking her to delete it.

Becker denies receiving the message.

Both McClung and Becker provided screenshots of text message exchanges to the newspaper. McClung’s screenshot includes the message in question but does not include the photo, which he said he deleted from his text message string. Becker’s screenshots include the photo but not the message, which she says she never received.

“If you received a picture from me it was in error. Would you please delete it ...,” reads the message in McClung’s screenshot.

The screenshot displays a timestamp of 9:44 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11, above the message.

The newspaper emailed McClung’s screenshot to Becker on Tuesday, Nov. 3, and asked directly whether she received the message.

“No. And this is currently a police matter,” Becker replied.

Screenshots provided by Becker do not include the disputed text message.

McClung acknowledged in an Oct. 28 telephone interview that he sent Becker the nude photo, saying he intended to send it to his girlfriend.

“I sent her an inappropriate photo,” McClung said. “I’m not going to deny that, but it was purely by accident.”

Becker discussed the photo and a $50,000 loan from McClung during the Eureka Springs City Council’s Oct. 26 meeting.

She told the council that the one-year loan had come due and McClung offered a short-term extension. Becker alleged that the photo, sent while extension paperwork was being prepared, implied she would need to perform sexual favors to save her home.

McClung denied making sexual advances toward Becker.

McClung, a licensed real estate agent, said in the Oct. 28 interview that he had initiated foreclosure proceedings against Becker.

Eureka Springs Police Chief Billy Floyd confirmed Oct. 27 that Becker had filed a report and that it had been referred to the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Daniel Klatt said that day that an investigation was ongoing and declined further comment.