Attorney for Chicago veterinarian facing child porn charges releases statement: 'He has been wrongly accused'
CHICAGO - A Chicago veterinarian facing multiple charges, including distributing child pornography, appeared in court on Thursday.
Adam Stafford King, 39, is an animal eye specialist who most recently worked at a clinic in Avondale.
Attorneys for King entered a "not guilty" plea in court this afternoon. He remains in custody following his arrest last month, stemming from a months-long FBI investigation.
During the investigation, the FBI allegedly discovered disturbing conversations on Telegram, an encrypted messaging service, where King is accused of sharing videos of children being sexually abused.
Through that platform, King is also accused of detailing plans to sexually assault his unborn child, whom he was expecting with his husband through a surrogate.
Chicago veterinarian who allegedly planned to sexually assault unborn child denied pre-trial release
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According to the Chicago Tribune, King was donning an orange jumpsuit in court today and waved to his parents as he entered the gallery. The paper also reports that King did not speak during the hearing.
In addition to being a former animal eye specialist, King was also an acclaimed dog show judge. When the allegations were brought to light, the American Kennel Club suspended his judging privileges.
One of King's attorneys, when contacted, said in a statement, "The press nor the public should jump to any conclusions. Mr. King pled Not Guilty because he is in fact, Not Guilty. He is committed to fighting these charges until his name is cleared. We look forward to a swift trial where the facts will demonstrate Mr. King's innocence and that he has been wrongfully accused."
King's next court appearance is scheduled for May.