Matthew Kuppe (Facebook photo)
Mathew Kuppe, a Jewish Community Center camp counselor who pleaded guilty to taking nude photos of prepubescent boys in the locker room and distributing them online, overdosed on drugs Wednesday, one day before the start of a 10-year prison sentence, The Detroit News reports.
Kuppe of West Bloomfield, was taken into custody afterward and appeared in federal court in Detroit on Friday wearing hospital scrubs and bandages covering his arms.
Robert Snell writes:
Circumstances surrounding Kuppe were shrouded in mystery Friday. Lawyers and a federal magistrate judge huddled in secrecy before Kuppe was turned over to the U.S. Marshals Service.
His lawyer Michael Rex refused to say whether Kuppe, 22, tried to kill himself. It was unclear what type of drugs were involved but Rex said his client is taking six medications.
Court records reveal that Kuppe was treated for a drug overdose Wednesday and was unresponsive after being found by his family. He was hospitalized and subsequently taken into federal custody.
"Any time a young man tries to commit suicide, it’s a very sad event. But the parents are grateful he’s actually in custody now," says William Seikaly, a lawyer representing the three victims' families. "It has been a nightmare for them the last 60 days in which they have had to worry about whether they or their children would run into Mr. Kuppe somewhere in the community."
