Photo: Pasco County Sheriff
Country Singer and reality show host Daniel Lee Martin, who was accused of child abuse multiple times and awaiting trial, has died. He was 54.
Martin was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in his home in Pasco County, Florida, on Friday when officers arrived to serve multiple warrants that had been issued out of Tennessee, a spokesperson for the Pasco County Sheriff’s office tells PEOPLE.
The warrants included three counts of sexual exploitation on a minor, three counts of aggravated sexual battery, two counts of committing an aggravated sexual battery and one count of solicitation of a minor to commit rape of a child, the sheriff’s office spokesperson says.
“Martin did not respond to attempts to make contact with him,” a statement provided to PEOPLE states. “The PSO SWAT team was called in to assist, as Martin previously made threats of harm against himself and others.”
“When deputies made entry to the residence, they discovered Martin deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound,” the statement says.
TMZ was thefirst to reportMartin’s death.
Martin was arrested last month on charges of lewd and lascivious exhibition and prohibition of certain acts in connection with obscenity, theTampa Bay Timesreportedon January 29.
The arrest came after a victim told police that the singer had exposed himself and began masturbating in front of them, according to an arrest affidavit, theTampa Bay Timesreported. The same victim also said that Martin showed them pornographic images, and that this had happened multiple times when the victim slept over at his house.
Martin was reportedly released within three hours of his arrest on $15,000 bail.
He reportedly turned himself in a month later. A trial had been scheduled for March, according to the outlet.
According to AllMusic.com, Martinbegan his country music careerin 1997 and opened for stars like Willie Nelson, Charlie Daniels and Vince Gill.
He released albumsAll That I Amin 2003 andOn My Way to Youin 2007.
Martin also cohosted a hunting showBrotherhood Outdoors.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go tohttp://www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go tosuicidepreventionlifeline.org.
source: people.com
