SUFFOLK, Va. - Western Tidewater Regional Jail staff found an inmate dead early Wednesday morning.
On November 2 around 4 a.m., jail staff found Larry Drommerhausen unconscious and unresponsive in his housing area. Medics were called to the facility and pronounced him dead.
Jail officials say it appears Drommerhausen committed suicide. His body is being sent to the State Medical Examiner's Office as require.
The Suffolk Police Department is conducting an investigation as part of protocol.
Drommerhausen, 54, appeared in U.S. District Court in Norfolk on May 5 on child porn charges.
Police conducted an undercover investigation to monitor trafficking of child pornography from Nov. 1, 2015 - Dec. 27, 2015.
During their investigation, police found several videos linked to an IP address of a computer owned by Drommerhausen.
On April 4, police executed a federal search warrant at Drommerhausen's home.
While searching the house, agents located images and video of child pornography that appeared to be homemade.
They also found a shaving cream can that had a magnetized bottom that allowed the base to detach. A pinhole had been poked into the can.
While police were searching the home, Drommerhausen was read Miranda rights and agreed to speak with investigators.
According to court documents, Drommerhausen told police that he owns a business that installs regular and hidden cameras.
The Newport News Commissioner of Revenue's Office confirmed that Drommerhausen's business was called Independent Systems and operated in Newport News since 2001.
The court documents also state that he admitted to police he had been looking at child porn for a "couple of years" and it gave him an adrenaline rush and appealed to him because it was forbidden.
He also said that he and his wife adopted his grandson who lives with them and that he has one granddaughter and three step grandchildren that do not live with them.
Drommerhausen told police he was also a foster parent for numerous children over the years who had been physically or sexually abused.
