Police Volunteer Accused Of Child Molestation Found Dead

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The former Santa Monica city employee and police youth group volunteer was accused of molesting children as far back as 1986.

SANTA MONICA, CA – Eric Uller, a former Santa Monica city employee and police youth group volunteer accused of molesting children, was found dead Thursday morning in his apartment in what officials are calling a possible suicide, according to a City of Santa Monica press release.

"The City was notified this morning that Eric Uller was found dead in his apartment. Initial indications are that it appears to be a suicide," the City of Santa Monica said. "The City was shocked to receive this news. Mr. Uller had been expected to appear in court this morning on the criminal charges previously filed against him. The court was also advised of his death."

The former Santa Monica Police Athletic League volunteer was charged in Oct. with six felony counts for alleged crimes dating back as far as 1986. He was facing three counts of lewd act on a child, two counts of oral copulation of a person under 18 and one count of continuous sexual abuse, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.

Prosecutors said three of the four victims were under the age of 14 at the time the alleged crimes were committed – between December 1986 and September 1995.

Uller, who worked for the city of Santa Monica as a systems analyst, was the subject of an investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Special Victims Bureau since June, when detectives received information from the Santa Monica Police Department, officials said.

The Los Angeles Times reported that Santa Monica police received an anonymous tip about the alleged lewd acts. Uller had been placed on administrative leave, the newspaper reported.

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Image via Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department