JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Authorities say a decorated Florida police detective killed himself just before he was to be arrested on charges that he possessed child pornography.
The Florida Times-Union reports that Jacksonville sheriff's Detective Vernon Richardson killed himself Tuesday, shortly after detectives obtained a warrant for his arrest.
The neighboring St. Johns County Sheriff's Office began an investigation in December after receiving a tip he had child porn on his computer. Detectives found an image of two adolescent boys having sex. He was questioned Feb. 1 and denied looking at child porn. Investigators say his computer was seized and two photos of naked children were found.
Richardson was the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's local officer of the year in 2012 for his work finding missing children.