Judge kills himself times ahead of arrest more than concealed bathroom digital camera accusations

A choose killed himself times in advance of he was to have been arrested on allegations he experienced a hidden digital camera that captured photos of naked boys in his lavatory.

Jonathan Newell, 50, had been on leave from his job as a circuit choose in Maryland’s Caroline County considering the fact that July following allegations had been made from him.

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

The Maryland US Attorney’s Office environment verified that the choose had been pronounced lifeless at 6.43am.

“Maryland State Police will guide the investigation into the evident suicide,” prosecutors said in  a assertion.

A neighbour, Kimberly Keith, posted on Fb that FBI brokers experienced been stationed exterior the judge’s household, demanding over a loudspeaker for him to arrive out.

She stated that gunshots experienced been listened to and an ambulance arrived shortly after.

Prosecutors have been set to charge Mr Newell on federal rates of exploitation of a little one.

The legal criticism, which was unsealed on Friday, said that Maryland Condition Police experienced been referred to as in July after a insignificant boy claimed to have discovered the video clip camera in the toilet of the judge’s cabin.

Investigators interviewed two boys, both equally minors, who said they experienced uncovered the concealed camera as they “spent the night” at the cabin with Mr Newell.

One particular of the boys informed investigators that he was undressing in the rest room when he saw that the digital camera was on and dealing with the shower in a corner of the space.

The boys noted the incident to their dad and mom, who contacted legislation enforcement, the complaint states.

Mr Newell denied realizing nearly anything about the digital camera, and reported that another adult male and 4 boys experienced used the cabin the working day prior to.

But when staying interviewed, Mr Newell allegedly chewed and swallowed a digicam memory card, and a CT scan later confirmed he had ingested a overseas item, according to the criticism.

When authorities carried out queries of Mr Newell’s cabin, home and office they seized several electronic devices, like a challenging drive they allege contained various movies of younger guys showering, dating again to September 2014.

Mr Newell, a Republican, was appointed as a decide by Maryland Governor Larry Hogan in 2016, and started out a 15-12 months time period in 2018.