A man who was jailed after being accused of drugging and sexually abusing teenage immigrant boys and forcing them to deal drugs has killed himself in his cell, authorities said Tuesday.
Victor Manuel Rax, 42, was found dead in his jail cell on Monday, the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office said in a statement to The Associated Press.
An investigation into the death is continuing, but authorities said they do not suspect foul play.
Prosecutors say Rax raped immigrant teens and children as young as 9. They say he threatened the children's families in order to force the children to sell drugs in Utah high schools and to submit to abuse.
He also bought the children shoes and other gifts to further coerce them, investigators said.
A message left with Rax's attorney Clifford Venable by The Associated Press was not immediately returned.
Rax was arrested in February and was facing 63 felony charges after investigators said they found 16 victims had been abused over four years. The charges included human trafficking, child sex abuse and drug possession, among others.
Prosecutors had struggled to bring a case against him because victims said they were too afraid to testify.
A scheduling hearing in the case had been scheduled for May 16. ..Source.. by The Republic
Accused child rapist dies in apparent suicide at Salt Lake County jail
A man accused of molesting teenage immigrant boys and forcing them into the drug trade died at the Salt Lake County jail Monday evening.
Authorities believe Victor Manuel Rax, 42, committed suicide Monday evening. An officer doing routine checks found Rax unresponsive, having hanged himself, about 8:25 p.m., said Salt Lake County Sheriff Jim Winder. Medical personnel tried to revive him, but he died in the jail, Winder said. ..Continued..
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