Union County man dies by suicide in jail after arrest on child porn charges
A 61-year-old Union County man charged with multiple counts of sex exploitation of a minor died by suicide in jail, a sheriff’s office press release said.
Paul R. Metcalf was arrested after he admitted to deputies to possessing photos of child sexual abuse, the Union County Sheriff’s Office said on Nov. 4.
Union County detention officers found Metcalf unresponsive in his jail cell at 12:52 a.m. on Nov. 6. Staff and EMS temporarily restored a pulse and transported him to a hospital for treatment, but Metcalf later died from his injuries, the press release said.
Metcalf was initially arrested Oct. 17, the sheriff’s office said. He received additional charges after authorities seized and examined his devices. Metcalf was accused of illegally storing more than 23,000 sexually explicit photos of children. An arrest warrant said some images were of girls as young as 4-years-old.
The N.C. State Bureau of Investigation will conduct an investigation into Metcalf’s death, the sheriff’s office said.
