In Port Royal, South Carolina, a 67-year-old man named John Joseph Charette Sr. was discovered deceased in his home on what appears to have been December 3, 2014. His death came just two days after he was taken into custody on charges of sexual exploitation of a minor.
Authorities had been alerted by the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force about suspected child pornography being uploaded from a computer associated with Charette's residence.
Following an investigation, law enforcement executed a search warrant at his Edinburgh Avenue home and reportedly found images and videos on his computer, leading to his arrest.
After being charged with one count of second-degree and two counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, Charette was released from the Beaufort County Detention Center on a $20,000 cash bond. The day after his release, Port Royal police received a call about a possible suicide at his home.
Upon their arrival, officers found Charette deceased from what was described as an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. The Beaufort County Deputy Coroner pronounced him dead at the scene. Law enforcement officials stated that there were no indications of foul play. An autopsy was planned to be conducted at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston to formally determine the cause of death.
