By Kathy Adams
The Virginian-Pilot
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A 24-year-old man accused of possessing and producing child pornography committed suicide while in custody at the city jail.
Billy Ray Webb attempted to kill himself in the early hours of March 4, three days after he was arrested, according to police and court records. He was taken to a hospital for treatment for serious injuries and died later that day, said Officer Margie Hobbs, a police spokeswoman.
The medical examiner’s office has determined that he died by hanging. Police ruled his death a suicide.
Officers arrested Webb on March 1 and charged him with felony possession of child pornography and felony production, publication, sale or financing of child pornography involving a child younger than 15, according to court records. Police found the materials on Webb’s computer after several months of investigation, Hobbs said.
He was denied bond and kept in custody at the Virginia Beach Correctional Center.
Sheriff Kenneth Stolle , who is responsible for running the jail, said deputies check on inmates at least twice an hour.
He said all of the security checks were done in this situation, and a deputy found Webb.
Stolle said he could not comment further until he receives the final investigative report from the police department.
Webb lived on Taureau Court near Hilltop. He worked at Burger King and didn’t have family in the area, according to court records. He had lived in Virginia Beach since November.
Hobbs said the police department did not release information about the suicide because they typically do not report them.
The last suicide publicly reported at the Virginia Beach Correctional Center was in 2006, when a 19-year-old serving a six-month sentence for assault hung himself. He’d received psychological care for depression and was suicidal before his incarceration.
There were also suicides by hanging at the jail in June 2002, October 2001, August 1998 and April 1996 . In March 2001, a female inmate attempted to commit suicide by swallowing pieces of a broken razor.
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