Singer Jack Avery speaks out after child's mother arrested in alleged plot to murder him
Former Why Don't We singer Jack Avery has spoken out for the first time on the arrest of TikToker Gabriela Gonzalez, who prosecutors allege hatched a $10k murder-for-hire plot against him with the help of her father.
Gonzalez, who boasts nearly half a million followers across TikTok and Instagram, has been charged with attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder and solicitation of murder this week after being accused of attempting to hire a hitman on the dark web targeting Avery.
Gonzalez's father, Francisco Gonzalez, 59, and her then-boyfriend Kai Cordrey, 26, are also facing the same charges in the alleged plot, which is said to be tied to Avery and Gonzalez's long-standing custody dispute over their seven-year-old daughter, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by PEOPLE.
Avery has spoken out for the first time since Gonzalez's arrest, claiming his family 'have endured intense public scrutiny, false accusations, and deeply painful attacks on our character and reputation'.
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In a lengthy post on Instagram uploaded on Thursday (21 May), the singer said: "A few days ago, three individuals were arrested in connection with an alleged plot to kill me. One of those individuals is the mother of my daughter.
“For years, my family and I have endured intense public scrutiny, false accusations, and deeply painful attacks on our character and reputation. Throughout that time, I chose to remain silent out of respect for the legal process and, most importantly, for my daughter.”
He went on to share how 'thankful' he is to have sole custody of his daughter, 'who is safe, healthy and deeply loved'.
"Right now, my focus is on being the best father I can be," he added.
Undercover officer pretended to be hitman on dark web
Prosecutors are claiming that in April 2021, after Gonzalez asked for help in finding someone to kill Avery, her father sent Cordrey $10,000 (£7,436) to seek out and pay for a hitman. Police say that just two months later, Cordrey was sent another $4,000 (£2,974) to fork out for additional payments for the hitman.
Several days later, Cordrey allegedly asked that the hitman kill Avery 'within a couple of days'.
But unbeknownst to him, the 'hitman' was actually an undercover officer, according to prosecutors.
In September 2021, law enforcement claims that Cordrey discussed payment, proof of death, and Avery being the target of the hit plot with the undercover officer.
Speaking of the trio's arrest on Tuesday (19 May), LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in a statement: “This was a lengthy investigation that was initiated by the FBI and eventually turned over to our office, resulting in criminal charges being filed today.
“This is a case where the defendants are accused of going to great lengths to find someone to commit murder.
"Most fathers raise their children to respect the law, but here we have a dad who allegedly helped his daughter and her boyfriend break the law in the most sinister way imaginable.”
Lawyers for Gabriela Gonzalez have yet to comment on the case. If convicted, all three face 25 years to life behind bars.