The NYPD sergeant who was facing rape and sexual abuse charges for allegedly raping a girl for years, starting when she was underage, was found dead yesterday. Joel Doseau, 43, "committed suicide inside his parents' Brooklyn home about 11:15 a.m.," according to the Daily News' sources.
Doseau was hit with 40 counts earlier this month—including 7 counts of rape, 11 counts of sexual misconduct, 3 counts of acting in a manner injurious to a child under 17, 11 counts of sexual abuse, and more. He was immediately suspended without pay and had his gun and shield taken away.
It was reported that Doseau met a 14-year-old girl online and told her that he was much younger, convincing her to send him nude photographs. Doseau allegedly raped the girl when she was 15, and the pair continued their "relationship" until 2008 when she was 17. The victim, now in her 20s, only recently went to the authorities.
The Post reports that he was "was found dead with a plastic bag over his head... A hose attached to a nearby butane tank fed gas into the bag, asphyxiating [him]."
Doseau, who had been free on $100,000 bond, worked at the Brooklyn South precinct.
If someone you know exhibits warning signs of suicide: do not leave the person alone; remove any firearms, alcohol, drugs or sharp objects that could be used in a suicide attempt; and call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or take the person to an emergency room or seek help from a medical or mental health professional.
