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Former Florida officer found dead in jail after child sex sentencing

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A retired Florida police office was found dead in his jail cell Monday, less than two weeks after being sentenced to life in prison for sexual offenses against children, authorities said.

James Michael Trejbal, 67, was found unresponsive in his isolation cell at the Duval County jail, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said. Rescue workers responded and pronounced him dead, the Florida Times-Union reported.

Homicide detectives were investigating, but there didn't immediately appear to be signs of foul play, police said. Trejbal pleaded guilty Feb. 27 to sexual battery of a child younger than 12 and two counts of lewd and lascivious molestation, according to court records. He also was deemed a sexual predator.

The former K9 officer was arrested in January. He retired from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office in 1999.

Authorities were alerted in December of possible sexual offenses from years earlier, and additional victims were discovered as recent sexual offenses were identified, police said. Some of the offenses were against victims younger than 12, investigators said. Some victims involved custodial authority, but the gender and circumstances were not released.