RI Health Official Arrested on Child Porn Charges Dies Unexpectedly
Tuesday, June 14, 2022
A former Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) official -- who was arrested last week on child pornography charges -- has died.
Rhode Island State Police (RISP) announced on June 7 the arrest of Jeffrey Hill for Possession of Child Pornography and Child Erotica Prohibited.
Hill was identified as the Youth Suicide Prevention Project Manager at RIDOH.
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Dear Colleagues,
It is with a very heavy heart that I am sharing the news of the recent unexpected passing of our colleague and friend, Jeff Hill. Many of us knew and worked with Jeff over his 9 years of service at the Rhode Island Department of Health, most recently as the head of our Violence and Injury Prevention Program.
Grieving is something we have all experienced in life, as we process the loss of a friend, loved one, or co-worker. Grieving is a personal and necessary journey, and death is a normal and often unwelcome part of life. We spend the best hours of our day at work and it is common for us to have strong positive relationships with our co-workers. As each of us embark on this journey of grieving the loss of Jeff, we will all process this news in our own personal way, which is normal and expected.
We might generate honest, hard questions--sometimes questions that do not have answers. At times like this, I tend to focus on positive past memories, which can provide some comfort. I also have noticed as I work through my own grieving, I often find more in my life to be thankful for and more perspective on the challenges that others face every day that I am not aware of. I ask staff to reflect in the manner that seems most appropriate for you, the grief Jeff’s family is experiencing as they mourn this unexpected tragic event.
We want to make sure you have access to resources to help you work through this grief. We have made arrangements for three counselors from our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to be on site Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of this week.
We are public health professionals, and like everyone else, our lives are complex, unique, and at times confusing. We endeavor to overcome challenges and we do so, often with the collaborative courage and commitment to our relentless support of each other.
