Judge's husband took nude photos for years, inquiry hears

Jack King, husband of embattled Manitoba Judge Lori Douglas, told a judicial inquiry on Monday he started taking nude photos of his wife in 1996 but stopped in 2003, shortly before a Winnipeg man complained the couple sexually harassed him. 

The testimony came during the second week of an inquiry by the Canadian Judicial Council into the conduct of King's wife, Associate Chief Justice Lori Douglas of the Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench. The inquiry follows the complaint of Winnipeg man Alex Chapman, who alleged that King and Douglas sexually harassed him when King allegedly asked Chapman to have sex with Douglas, prior to her becoming a judge.

Douglas has denied the claims, calling them "a complete fabrication."

King said he took between 100 and 150 pornographic photos of his wife between 1999 and 2003. At the time she was a lawyer and had applied to become a judge twice, in 1999 and in 2002. She successfully re-applied in 2004 and was appointed to the bench in 2005.

King told the inquiry he liked to take the nude photos outside when the weather was warm, and that he started posting them to the internet in 2002. He claimed that he stopped taking the photos before Chapman complained about the couple sexually harassing him in 2003. King is scheduled to be back on the stand Tuesday.

Earlier Monday, Chapman's former lawyer, Ian Histed, said his client was seeking money and not revenge.

In his second day of testimony at the judicial inquiry that threatens Douglas's career entered, Histed, who negotiated a $25,000 settlement and confidentiality agreement on behalf of his former client, said Chapman wanted millions to keep quiet about his allegations that Douglas and King sexually harassed him.

He said he told Chapman the upper limit was $100,000.

They settled for $25,000 because, according to Histed, he felt that Thompson Dorfman Sweatman — the law firm where Douglas and King were lawyers at the time — would throw King "under the bus" and say King was leaving the firm because he was having mental health issues.

Histed testified he told Chapman to take what he could get and hurried to reach a settlement as soon as possible

Chapman alleges King sent Chapman nude photos of his wife and attempted to arrange a sexual encounter between him and Douglas.

Histed said he once told King that he could not treat a client like that. He said King responded that Chapman’s divorce was over and the two had become friends.

According to Histed, King said Chapman participated in the sex talk and even suggested places he could meet Douglas.

King has accepted blame for the harassment that dates back to 2003, saying he gave nude photos of his wife to Chapman and asked Chapman to have sex with her.

Chapman insists Douglas was also part of the scheme — a charge both she and her husband deny.

King pleaded guilty in March 2011 to professional misconduct charges at a hearing by the Manitoba Law Society. He was ordered to pay approximately $13,000 in costs.

He was to testify on Friday, but testimony from Michael Sinclair, former managing partner with the firm that employed Douglas and King, ran into the afternoon.

Lawyer testifies about Chapman call

Sinclair said that on June 9, 2003, he found out about Chapman's harassment claims through a letter sent by his lawyer.

Sinclair said he asked King about the nude photos of his wife, and that according to King, Douglas knew "basically nothing" about the situation.

Histed also testified Friday that he received a call from Chapman in 2003 after Chapman was given sexually explicit photos of Douglas.

Histed testified that Chapman told him, "'We're going to make a million dollars off this,'" and that he planned to buy a sailboat with the money he would make by filing a lawsuit.