Veteran Ocean County detective facing child sex assault charges found dead

10-30-2011 New Jersey:

STAFFORD — Authorities say a veteran Ocean County Prosecutor's Office detective who was facing child sexual assault charges apparently committed suicide this weekend.

Executive Assistant County Prosecutor Michael Palhus tells the Asbury Park Press of Neptune that Sgt. Ronald Velardi's body was found around 3 a.m. Sunday in a wooded area of Stafford Township, where Velardi lived.

Palhus said authorities had received "information" that led them to start searching for Velardi on Saturday night, but would not provide further details.

Velardi, who had served with the prosecutor's office for many years, had been suspended after his arrest in June. He faced four counts of sexual assault and three counts of child endangerment in a case that authorities say involved two girls. ..Source..

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Ocean County veteran investigator accused of sexually assaulting two underage girls

6-10-2011 New Jersey:

A veteran investigator with the Ocean County prosecutor’s office was charged today with sexually assaulting two underage girls.

Det. Sgt. Ronald Velardi, 44, of Manahawkin was arrested 10 a.m. while on duty at a satellite division of the prosecutor’s office in Toms River, said Joel Bewley, a spokesman for the Burlington County prosecutor’s office.

He said investigators had Velardi under surveillance prior to his arrest.

Although Velardi is an Ocean County resident, Burlington County authorities were called into the case along with the state Division of Criminal Justice to avoid a conflict of interest by having his own agency conduct the investigation.

Velardi, who has worked for the prosecutor’s office for at least a dozen years, was charged with four counts of second-degree sexual assault and three counts of child endangerment, Bewley said.

Three of the sexual assault charges relate to one girl and the other sexual assault charge involves another girl, both minors, Bewley said. He would not say how old they are or how they know Velardi.

Authorities filed one child endangerment charge for each of the alleged victims and for a boy, who is also a minor, Bewley said. He declined to disclose the boy’s age or say how he knew Velardi.

The charges cover acts that allegedly occurred since January, Bewley said.

Velardi, who is married and has three children, is being held in the Burlington County jail in lieu of $500,000 bail.

He was suspended without pay and had to surrender his firearms and credentials, Bewley said. Bewley would not comment on what may have been seized at Velardi’s Beach Lane home.

Velardi, who earns $99,993, was promoted to sergeant on Dec. 16, according to records of the Ocean County Board of Freeholders. If convicted of the sexual assault charge, Velardi could face from five to 10 years in prison.

Deputy Chief Michael Mohel, a spokesman for the Ocean County prosecutor’s office, declined to comment on the arrest. ..Source.. by NJ.com

Jersey City man facing sex crime charges kills himself after state troopers arrive to arrest him on new charges

10-22-2011 New Jersey:

A Jersey City man facing sex crime charges fatally shot himself in the chest when State

Police troopers came to his home Thursday to arrest him in connection with another sexual assault, officials said Friday.

When state troopers and detectives of the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office went to the Gifford Avenue residence of Eric Martin, 29, at 7 p.m. they were met by a woman who refused to let them in, reports said.

As the officers spoke to the woman, they heard a gunshot and entered the home to find Martin unresponsive on a bed with a gunshot wound to his chest, State Police Lt. Stephen Jones said. Martin was alone and there was no evidence anyone else had been in the room, said Jones.

On Thursday, Martin was to be arrested on a warrant out of Somerset County charging him with attempted kidnapping, impersonating a police officer and sexual assault, Jones said, adding that bail had already been set at $250,000.

Martin’s codefendant in the case is Shamir Modestin, 43, of Brooklyn, Jones said, adding that Modestin was already in jail when charged in connection with the investigation that began in April.

Last month, Modestin and Martin were charged with the Aug. 16 abduction and rape of a prostitute in Jersey City. The men allegedly flashed their lights and pulled the 29-year-old woman over, police said. They forced her into a car and drove her to North Bergen, where they raped her, officials said. ..Source.. by Michaelangelo Conte/The Jersey Journal

Coroner: Man scheduled for trial this week is dead

10-11-2011 California:

A California man set to go on trial for child molesting in Brown County this week is dead.

Deputy Coroner Jeff Cameron with the Kern County Coroner’s Office in California confirmed Monday that 70-year-old Richard Wayne Hyde died inside his home in Bodfish, Calif., at 4:05 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9.

The deputy coroner stated the official cause of death was pending, but early indications were that Hyde suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

Prosecutor Jim Oliver could not be reached for comment Monday on what might happen next in the case, but prospective jurors were told late Monday that their services would no longer be needed on Wednesday, Oct. 12.

Defense attorney Frederick Turner declined to comment Monday.

Hyde’s arrest two years ago stemmed from allegations that he sexually assaulted a 9-year-old girl in Brown County.

Hyde, who was free on bail, was charged with three counts of child molesting, two Class A felonies that carry a maximum sentence of 50 years in prison and a Class C felony that has a sentencing range of two to eight years. ..Source.. by Kevin Lilly, Brown County Democrat

Michael Weisler: Accused Child Molester Commits Suicide At Police Station

10-17-2011 Vermont:

Michael Weisler shot himself in the parking lot of the Vermont State Police dispatch center in Williston Sunday, police said.

An accused child molester killed himself outside a Vermont state police barracks Sunday, after troopers were warned the suicidal man was en route to their headquarters.

Michael Weisler, 43 of Waterville, pulled into the parking lot of the Vermont State Police dispatch center in Williston on Sunday, stepped outside the vehicle and shot himself.

"[He said] 'I'm the person you're looking for,' and then, just killed himself," said Vermont State Police Lt. Detective Brian Miller.

The shooting occurred at about 11:30 a.m., roughly ten minutes after a friend of Weisler's called police to warn them that Weisler was driving to the Williston barracks to commit suicide.

"State police members responded immediately to attempt to make contact with Weisler," Vermont State Police Public Information Officer, Stephanie Dasaro said.

But, Weisler managed to shoot himself "before troopers could intercede," Dasaro added.

On Friday, Vermont State Police received a call from an unidentified person that a girl had been sexually abused in 2008 in Watersville. An immediate investigation, conducted by detectives and the Department of Children and Family Service, led them to arrest Weisler on Saturday.

They booked him with lewd and lascivious conduct with a juvenile, but didn't release details about the alleged abuse nor any information on the evidence against Weisler.

After posting $10,000 bond, authorities released Weisler from the Northwest Correctional Center. He was scheduled to appear in Lamoille County Court today for arraignment on the charges.

Miller said he is uncertain why Weisler, who was married and had children, decided to kill himself outside the barracks in Williston, when his arrest was handled by the Northwest Unit for Special Investigations in Waterville.

"This building doesn't have anything to do with him," Miller said.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Burlington will conduct an autopsy on Weisler sometime today, police said. ..Source.. by David Lohr

Former city manager kills self following child porn charges

9-2-2011 Colorado:

ADAMS COUNTY, Colo. -- A former Fort Morgan city manager took his own life Friday morning after leading authorities on a low-speed chase through Adams County, police said.

Pat Merrill, 48, was charged on Thursday with sexual exploitation of a child and possession of child pornography, FOX31 Denver has learned.

At about 5:20 a.m., a Morgan County deputy requested that Brighton officers check on Merrill’s well-being at a Comfort Inn motel.

He was expected to meet with police Friday morning.

“I'm not sure exactly the basis of his concern, but it was a professional courtesy to another agency to check on this young man and see how he was doing,” said John Bradley with Brighton Police.

When officers arrived at the motel, a woman told them Merrill had left.

“Officers made contact with (Merrill) by telephone, and were able to locate him in his vehicle a short time later,” police said.

Merrill, however, refused to pull over and led officers on a chase that lasted roughly 25 minutes.

He eventually drove to an area behind a local business near Highway 85 and 124th Ave.

“When officers approached the truck after getting no response from the man for several minutes, they discovered him unresponsive in the vehicle with an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound,” according to Brighton Police.

"No shots were fired by police," Bradley said.

"We are shocked and stunned and our thoughts go out to Mr. Merrill's family," acting Fort Morgan city manager Jeff Wells said.

Merrill stepped down from his position as city manager in January, a move that surprised many in Fort Morgan.

"It was presented in the media as kind of a retirement, stepping down, returning to his home in Southwestern Colorado," said Dr. Ken Keller of Fort Morgan.

Details of the charges against Merrill have not be released. He was due to meet with Fort Morgan police on Friday to discuss the case. ..Source.. by Heidi Hemmat | Jim Hooley

Child pornography supect commits suicide at Ohio police station

4-16-2011 Ohio:

COLUMBUS, Ohio, April 16 2011 — A man who committed suicide at an Ohio police station was a suspect in a federal criminal investigation into child pornography, officials said.

John T. Callicotte fatally shot himself in a parking lot at police headquarters in Hilliard, Ohio, Tuesday after federal agents searched his house for three hours, the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch reported.

For 11 years Callicotte, 46, had been the chief financial officer of Amethyst Inc., a local non-profit organization that aids women with addiction problems and their children, the newspaper said.

“John was a valued and respected employee,” Virginia O’Keeffe, the agency’s chief executive officer, said. “He was a devoted husband and father. We’re trying to cope. He’s been a good friend to all of us.”

Agents were searching Callicotte’s house for evidence of child pornography, a search warrant filed in U.S. District Court said.

Agents have not asked a judge for permission to search Amethyst, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman said.

“We’ll cooperate with anything that they ask us to,” O’Keeffe said.

ICE enforces federal laws covering sexual exploitation of children via the Internet. ..Source.. by UPI.com

Maryland Heights child porn offender kills himself

2-26-2011 Missouri:

MARYLAND HEIGHTS • A man committed suicide after barricading himself in a bedroom of his Maryland Heights home Friday during a home visit by federal court officials, police said.

An attorney identified the dead man as a child pornography offender who was about to be sentenced.

Maryland Heights police said while federal court officers were in the home in the 11000 block of Galaxy Court about 1 p.m., the man became nervous and fled from the basement to a top-floor bedroom. Police said the federal officials then heard what sounded like a gunshot.

The federal court officers called Maryland Heights police, who found the man dead in the bedroom.

Police did not identify the man, but St. Louis attorney Bill Margulis said he was Matthew Kerns, whom Margulis had been representing in a federal child pornography case.

Kerns, 44, pleaded guilty in December to two counts of receiving child pornography. Under a plea agreement, two counts of possessing child pornography were dropped. He was scheduled to be sentenced on March 9.

A sentencing memo submitted in federal court Friday for Kerns said he would probably serve 63 to 78 months in prison.

Margulis said the two had met earlier Friday in Kerns' office to discuss the case and go over the sentencing memo. Three hours later, he received a call that his client was dead.

"I didn't get any indication that this was coming today," Margulis said. "When I met with him, everything was fine." ..Source.. by Marlon A Walker

Cop in Child Pornography Investigation Kills Self Behind Church

12-10-2008 Missouri:

ST. LOUIS — A St. Louis police officer who was under investigation in a child pornography case jumped out of a police car, ran away, and killed himself, authorities said Wednesday.

The officer's name was not released. He was 37 and had been with the department for 2 1/2 years, city police spokeswoman Erica Van Ross said.

St. Louis County police went to the officer's home in south St. Louis County on Tuesday.

"We had received an IP address belonging to a computer at that residence associated with child pornography, either the possession or transfer of it," Panus said. "We went there to serve the search warrant."

The officer wasn't home but provided a key when investigators tracked him down. Panus said the computer and personal papers were seized, but the officer was not arrested.

Later Tuesday, members of the city police Internal Affairs division picked up the officer and were driving him to police headquarters. Van Ross said he was being taken in for two reasons: To await results of the county search of his computer and papers, and for questioning about why he apparently lived in the county when city officers are required to live in the city.

Suddenly, just blocks from police headquarters, the officer jumped out of the car and ran, Van Ross said. Police searched but couldn't find him.

Hours later, a resident called 911 after finding the officer, reportedly behind a church. He had a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Van Ross said. Police transported the officer to Saint Louis University Hospital, where he died.

Van Ross said the officer was not technically in custody so he was not handcuffed or restrained in the police car. Police Chief Dan Isom has ordered a review of protocol to see if changes should be made in the method of transporting people to the Internal Affairs Division. ..Source.. by FOX News

Molestor found dead in jail cell

10-17-2011 Indiana:

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - A convicted sex offender arrested Wednesday on child pornography charges was found dead in his cell in the Marion County Jail Monday morning.

Jail officials say Anthony W. Humphrey, 51, committed suicide.

He was being housed in a single cell and did not have a cell mate.

The incident is under investigation.

Humphrey was arrested following an FBI raid on his Muncie apartment. He faced charges of possession of child pornography.

The Star Press reports Humphrey was sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2003 after he was convicted of sexually abusing an 8-year-old Delaware County boy. ..Source.. by WISHTV.com

Alva Teacher Accused of Sex With Student Reportedly Commits Suicide

10-6-2011 Oklahoma:

ALVA, Oklahoma -- An Alva teacher who was being investigated on allegations of inappropriate sexual contact with a student apparently shot himself, a Woods' County sheriff's report said.

The incident occurred in the early morning hours of Oct. 4. Sheriff's deputies had traveled to the rural home of Michael Lyn Conner, 56, south of Alva to investigate. Deputies spoke with his wife and observed Conner sitting in a parked car.

The report said officers approached the vehicle and saw and heard one gunshot from inside the car. They discovered Conner with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest.

Officers attempted life-saving procedures until an ambulance arrived, but Conner was pronounced dead at Share Medical Center in Alva.

Conner's body was transported to the Oklahoma State Medical Examiner's Office in Oklahoma City. The investigation is ongoing. ..Source.. by News9.com