Appearing in jail jumpsuit, Mobile neurosurgeon pleads not guilty to child pornography charges

A Mobile neurosurgeon arrested last week on child pornography charges made his first in-person court appearance Tuesday, pleading not guilty. Dr. Shawn Broxton Clark, 59, appeared in a blue jumpsuit issued by Mobile County Metro Jail, where he had been locked up since Thursday. He has not been able to make theClark also has not been able to finalize arrangements to hire a lawyer. Attorney Bucky Thomas represented him at the hearing Tuesday but said an agreement has not been finalized. Thomas asked Mobile County District Judge Johana Bucci for a preliminary hearing and asked that it be set at a later date than typical. She set it for Oct. 13. 'As far as facts of the case, y'all probably know more than I do at this point,' Thomas told reporters outside the courtroom. 'So, we'll address bond needs and stuff like that on the front end. There's a lot of work to do, and got to get going. ''We do feel prepared to go forward with the preliminary hearing,' she said. 'The defense is, you know, entitled to do whatever investigation it needs to do before then, and then, ultimately, we will be prepared to present the matter before a judge. ' Clark faces five counts of possession of child pornography and five counts of production of child pornography. Investigators raided his office off Airport Boulevard in Mobile. They said Clark also faces charges in Baldwin County stemming from a search of his home in Montrose. Investigators have said the material he had was a mix of real children and images generated by artificial intelligence. They said all five production counts related to AI images. Clark's appearance in court Tuesday marked a stunning fall for one of Mobile's most prominent doctors. Baldwin County tax records show his 5,863-square-foot home and property are appraised at more than $2.2 million. If Clark does make bail, he will be under house arrest with limited exceptions and must wear an ankle monitor. He also is under orders not to have any contact with minors. Speaking softly, Clark asked the judge how he would be able to stay at his home and comply with the order since he has a minor daughter. Bucci said the Alabama Department of Human Resources informed her that Clark's wife had removed the child from the house. 'My understanding is that the no-contact order includes being with any minors, and so long as his daughter is a minor, that would include his daughter,' she said. No additional jail time for Baldwin postal worker who had hundreds of letters in home, judge rulesMobile police investigate weekend shooting that injured one person