Pretrial release denied for Elburn man charged with child porn crime
A federal judge has ordered that an Elburn man, accused of distributing child pornography, be detained while awaiting trial.
U.S. Northern Illinois District Court Magistrate Judge Keri L. Holleb Hotaling wrote she had “grave concerns regarding the danger he (Adam Stafford King) poses to young children, including his own infant child, if he is released.”
King, 38, was charged on March 21. King was arraigned on Thursday and pleaded not guilty.
Hotaling made her ruling on March 26 and issued a written opinion explaining her decision on Tuesday.
She agreed with a pretrial services evaluation that said King was a low flight risk, given he has a steady job, a stable living environment, strong ties to the community and “exceptional” family support. King is a veterinary ophthalmologist, a dog breeder and a dog show judge.
King’s husband, his father, and his father-in-law had agreed to stay at his house and monitor him. King also offered to turn off internet service to his home.
The King’s son was due to be born this week, according to the FBI.
“King deftly concealed his alleged illegal activities from his entire family for at least the last six months, if not much longer, and none of the proposed conditions of release would prevent this deception from continuing to occur,” Hotaling wrote.
Hotaling said the Internet is” omnipresent,” available through Internet-enabled devices, free wi-fi spots and networks near his home.
It was revealed that Aurora police had investigated King in 2017 after Google reported suspected child pornographic materials in an email account. They interviewed King but determined the age of the victim depicted was too unclear to determine if the material was illegal or adequate to get a search warrant for King’s electronic devices, according to the FBI.
The FBI began looking into King in October 2023 while investigating a New York man who had received child pornographic materials from a person in the Chicago area. An agent used the New York man’s devices to exchange text messages with King and receive materials via the Telegram and Scruff apps.
Agents allege King wrote he had sedated and sexually abused several children he knew and was looking forward to sexually assaulting his child.
King’s next court date is May 9.