A judge who had filmed naked children with a hidden camera committed suicide before being arrested by the FBI

A judge of United States committed suicide last Friday before agents of the FBI enter his home to arrest him in the middle of a case for child abuse in which he was accused.

Jonathan G. Newell, of 50, was pronounced dead at 6:43 p.m. for a self-inflicted bullet wound. He had been a judge since 2016 and before that was the chief attorney for Caroline County in Virginia for more than a decade. According to the prosecutors in the case, federal agents were going to put him in custody on charges of child sexual exploitation.

The case was built from the complaint of a minor that Newell took on a hunting trip to Hoopers Island, Who discovered one hidden camera in the bathroom of the cabin last July 23 and told his parents, they took the case to the police.

According to authorities, when investigators confronted the judge, it is believed Newell bite and swallowed the memory card of a camera where there would be video material of naked minors.

A Newell neighbor posted photos on Facebook saying the FBI was away from his home in Henderson, Maryland, asking him to come out through a loudspeaker. Neighbor Kimberly Keith told local media she heard flashes and what she thought were shots. Then an ambulance arrived.

The parents of two children Newell brought on the trip had hired lawyers, who issued a “no contact” request to Newell on Aug. 4. The letter quoted, “Information and belief … that [Newell] participated in criminal conduct. “

During the investigation of the case, the judge was asked to stay away from the school for children and events associated with minors, he was warned that any contact would result in the parents reporting to the police. of the State of Maryland 1 “Possible manipulation of witnesses.”

In the criminal complaint filed against Newell last Thursday, they are referenced FBI interviews with several youths who went to the judge’s hunting lodge, Who said that while they were in the bathroom he checked their bodies for ticks.

“At least two of the children said they were naked when Newell checked them for ticks; one said he moved his own genitals for Newell to look for ticks, and the other initially couldn’t remember if Newell touched him. the genitals, but then claimed that Newell moved the child’s genitals once or twice to look for ticks, “ FBI Special Agent Rachel Corn wrote in the criminal complaint.

Authorities searched Newell’s house, truck and courthouse, and located it a hard drive in their studio that they said contained numerous videos of male children showering.

Newell can be seen in the images that make up the camera, Said the FBI. In a video clip, he can be seen looking for ticks on a young man’s naked body.

When he confronted the authorities, Newell he denied being aware of a camera and asked if he could connect the phone to a charger in another room and make some calls. They saw him tilt several times, but believed he was holding the phone charger to a power outlet. Moments later, the investigator noticed that Newell’s right hand was clenched into a fist and saw him take his fist in his mouth.

“The researcher heard a loud, distinguishable ‘crunch’ in the area of ​​Newell’s mouth. After another minute or two, the researcher heard the same ‘crunch’ again in Newell’s mouth, followed by Newell immediately looking for and drinking from a cup placed on his dressing table “, The FBI wrote in the indictment.

They then took him to a hospital and obtained an order for a computed tomography scan, which revealed that he had ingested a “strange object.” The SD card of the camera discovered by the child was missing, and the FBI believes Newell chewed it and swallowed it.

Newell was not charged at this time. Dorchester County State Attorney William H. Jones’s office was one of multiple agencies involved in the case, he told The sun that the investigators moved “As soon as possible”.

“A lot of time, effort and hours of work was invested in investigating this as quickly as possible with an attempt to resolve it,” said Jones. “There was a lot of evidence, and that evidence takes time to analyze.”

Newell, a Republican, has been the only Caroline County Circuit Court judge to win $ 174,433 per year. The county, with a population of 33,000, also has a designated family magistrate judge and civil case examiners.

He began his law career as a public defender in 1999, then became Kent County County Deputy Attorney General. He held both positions for two years each. He was elected state attorney for Caroline County in 2003, a position he held until 2016, when the governor Larry Hogan he appointed him judge. He held this position in 2018 and served a 15-year term.

Keith, Newell’s neighbor, said her husband woke her up around 6:10 a.m. and noticed police performances outside her neighbor’s house. He heard the FBI, through a loudspeaker, say: “Jonathan, salt, raise your hands.”

She said officers approached the door and she heard a loud bang followed by two loud bangs a few minutes later. “The next thing I knew was that they were in the house,” he said.

Keith said the rumors about the ongoing research were “well known around here“Before the investigation, Keith said he found.”very strange“Newell ‘s posts on Facebook.

“Everything he posted on Facebook was about kids”, He said.

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