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Deputy Charged With 212 Child Sex Offenses Dies in Custody

Nikifor Zhukov, a 62-year-old member of the village of Churovichsky's council, who was charged with molesting three dozen girls aged 11-17.

A Bryansk regional lawmaker charged with 212 counts of child sex abuse has died of an apparent heart attack while in custody, the Investigative Committee said.

Nikifor Zhukov, a 62-year-old member of the village of Churovichsky's council, died last Thursday in a hospital after needing immediate care in pre-trial detention, the committee's regional branch said in an online statement published Monday.

The preliminary cause of death was a heart attack, the statement said.

The investigation into Zhukov, who was charged with molesting three dozen girls aged 11-17 between 2007 and 2013 in early May, is set to be dropped unless the deputy's family requests a further inquiry, the statement added.

Zhukov reportedly specifically targeted girls from low-income families, drove them to a secluded location, where he raped them and then used threats to demand their silence. In some cases, Zhukov paid the girls between 500 and 1000 rubles for their silence.

See also:
Bryansk Deputy Charged With 212 Child Sex Offenses

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