Prosecutors last week announced new charges against a California neurosurgeon who wanted to impregnate women and raise “sexual families,” according to court documents.
James Kohut, the 57-year-old surgeon, and two other defendants, Emily Stephens and Rashel Brandon, are accused of running a child-sex ring, according to the Associated Press. They were dealt 32 additional charges on Thursday after video evidence showed them sexually abusing a 10-year-old boy, 3-year-old boy and 5-year-old girl, the San Jose Mercury News reported.
Kohut, who was arrested in May, is accused of sexually abusing children over 20 years and luring women with intentions to molest their children, the Mercury News reported. According to court documents, Kohut told a girlfriend that he wanted to get her pregnant “so she could have a child and then they could be sexual with the child.”
The three defendants pleaded not guilty to the new charges on Thursday.
More Must-Reads From TIME
- Why We're Spending So Much Money Now
- The Fight to Free Evan Gershkovich
- Meet the 2024 Women of the Year
- John Kerry's Next Move
- The Quiet Work Trees Do for the Planet
- Breaker Sunny Choi Is Heading to Paris
- Column: The Internet Made Romantic Betrayal Even More Devastating
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Write to Katie Reilly at Katie.Reilly@time.com