May 18—PERU — The judge in the case against Kegan Kline, a Miami County man who plead guilty in March to 25 different felony charges related to child pornography and exploitation, granted the defense's request for a continuance Thursday morning, pushing the defendant's next court date into June.

Kline was set to be sentenced Thursday morning inside Miami Circuit Court.

However — after an initial delay in court proceedings that lasted nearly an hour — Defense Attorney Andrew Achey opened his arguments during Thursday's hearing by saying his client just "wants additional time" to review evidence he was unaware of and to be able to "consider all options."

That includes the option for Kline to withdraw his plea of guilty altogether and have the case placed back on the trial calendar, Achey added.

As for the state's view on the matter, Miami County Deputy Prosecutor Courtney Alwine said Kline was just using his request for a continuance as a delay tactic.

"We obviously object to it," Alwine told the court. "He (Kline) does not want to face the music today. ... Continuing this sentencing hearing does nothing. ... Kegan Kline wants to drag this out as long as possible. We are prepared. They should be prepared."

But with the continuance officially being granted, Kline is now due back in court for a status hearing at 11 a.m. June 1 inside Miami Circuit Court.

His sentencing date, should he not withdraw his current plea, is tentatively set for July 27.

Kline, 28, was initially arrested in August 2020 after police launched an investigation that reportedly revealed he was using social media platforms, namely Snapchat and Instagram, to speak with underage females, according to court records.

Kline conversed with those females via a fake social media profile known as "anthony_shots" and one also known as "Emily Ann," court records noted.

During an interview with police in February 2017, Kline reportedly confessed that he did create the profiles, adding that he would often contact girls he did know and some he did not.

Along with conversing with the juvenile females, Kline told police he was also sent around "100 sexual pictures" from girls ranging in age from 15-17 years of age, a probable cause affidavit stated.

During a 2017 search of Kline's Miami County property, police seized several electronic devices, which investigators said contained sexually explicit images of children ages 3-17, per the affidavit.

Many of the geo-locations in those photos included Central Indiana cities such as Bunker Hill, Galveston, Kokomo, Royal Center and Indianapolis, according to court records.

Investigators also say that some of those devices appeared to be factory reset, which means that all user data was essentially erased.

Kline's case made headlines last year when it was revealed that his "anthony_shots" profile reportedly conversed with 14-year-old Delphi resident Libby German in February 2017.

A few days later, on Feb. 14, 2017, the bodies of German and 13-year-old Abby Williams were located by the banks of Deer Creek near the Monon High Bridge area in Carroll County.

Richard Allen, a 50-year-old Delphi resident, was arrested last October for his alleged role in their deaths. He is expected back in court in June.

According to police, Kline has never been named a suspect in the deaths of Abby and Libby.