A Beluga lodge owner who was facing more than a dozen child exploitation charges following an investigation into allegations involving a teenage girl has died by suicide, bringing the criminal case against him to an end.
The Alaska Department of Law confirmed that 39-year-old Thomas Golden was found dead in an Anchorage motel by Anchorage Police. Law enforcement determined he had taken his own life. The state has since dismissed the pending charges, and the case is now closed.
A prosecutor said the victim is currently with family and referred questions about the circumstances surrounding Golden’s death to the Alaska State Troopers…