Man charged in octopus child endangerment case pleads not guilty

The Wichita man charged with endangering his girlfriend’s toddler, who was found with a dead octopus in his throat in April, pleaded not guilty this week.

Matthew Gallagher, 36, is scheduled for an Oct. 3 jury trial on one count of aggravated endangerment of a child, according to Sedgwick County District Court records. According to a police affidavit released in July, Gallagher told Wichita police he’d fed the 2-year-old boy the 2 1/2-inch-long marine animal, which became lodged in the child’s airway. At the time, he was caring for the boy at their home in the 4900 block of East Waterman while his girlfriend worked.

The boy was unresponsive when he was hospitalized but recovered. Police have said the octopus was likely intended to be used as sushi.

Gallagher has denied any wrongdoing. He entered his plea Thursday.

This story was originally published July 30, 2016 at 10:40 AM with the headline "Man charged in octopus child endangerment case pleads not guilty."