Christopher King. Courtesy: Des Moines County Sheriff's Department
A Judge has denied a motion for bond reduction from the defense team for the former Burlington City Councilman and Photography Studio Owner charged with the sexual abuse of several teenage girls.
District Court Judge John Linn handed down his ruling Monday after a hearing last week for 41 year old Christopher King, saying that $40,000 bond on four counts of sexual abuse was “appropriate”.
Parole Officer Andrew Ferguson testified at that hearing last week, saying that while under normal circumstances King would be recommended for release on his own recognizance, the nature of the charges and the sheer number of charges caused him to classify King as a high risk for reoffending and did not recommend his Bond be reduced.
King was released from jail following a bond reduction after his first arrest in May on three counts of sex abuse,one count pertaining to sexual abuse, three counts of providing alcohol to a minor, and two counts of simple assault. He was arrested again in July on the four new counts of sexual abuse.
Several parents contacted Burlington Police in February, concerned that King had sexually abused their teenage daughters. Police say that King, on multiple occasions, contacted teenage customers through social media following their initial sitting, offering them “discounts” on their photo sessions if they came to the studio to “assist” King.
King would then, allegedly, provide the teenage girls with alcoholic beverages and drive to locations in rural Des Moines county, where according to police, he would abuse his victims, offering to pay for sex or simply raping the girls.
