Judge kills himself moments before arrest in excess of concealed bathroom camera accusations

A decide killed himself moments right before he was to have been arrested on allegations he had a concealed digital camera that captured pictures of naked boys in his rest room.

Jonathan Newell, 50, experienced been on depart from his role as a circuit choose in Maryland’s Caroline County considering the fact that July right after allegations have been made towards him.

When FBI agents arrived at his property in Henderson, Maryland, on Friday morning to arrest him on a federal legal complaint they located him “suffering from an clear self-inflicted gunshot wound.”

The Maryland US Attorney’s Place of work confirmed that the choose had been pronounced dead at 6.43am.

“Maryland Condition Police will direct the investigation into the clear suicide,” prosecutors said in  a statement.

A neighbour, Kimberly Keith, posted on Fb that FBI agents experienced been stationed exterior the judge’s household, demanding more than a loudspeaker for him to come out.

She said that gunshots experienced been listened to and an ambulance arrived shortly following.

Prosecutors have been set to charge Mr Newell on federal charges of exploitation of a baby.

The felony complaint, which was unsealed on Friday, mentioned that Maryland Point out Police experienced been referred to as in July right after a insignificant boy claimed to have observed the video digital camera in the toilet of the judge’s cabin.

Investigators interviewed two boys, the two minors, who reported they experienced identified the hidden camera as they “spent the night” at the cabin with Mr Newell.

One of the boys informed investigators that he was undressing in the lavatory when he noticed that the camera was on and struggling with the shower in a corner of the place.

The boys claimed the incident to their mother and father, who contacted legislation enforcement, the complaint states.

Mr Newell denied realizing everything about the camera, and reported that an additional adult male and 4 boys had utilized the cabin the working day before.

But when being interviewed, Mr Newell allegedly chewed and swallowed a camera memory card, and a CT scan later on confirmed he had ingested a foreign item, according to the complaint.

When authorities carried out queries of Mr Newell’s cabin, household and office environment they seized various electronic gadgets, together with a difficult travel they allege contained several movies of young guys showering, dating again to September 2014.

Mr Newell, a Republican, was appointed as a choose by Maryland Governor Larry Hogan in 2016, and commenced a 15-yr phrase in 2018.