The Brief

RIO VERDE, Ariz. - The man accused of neglecting his exotic animals is breaking his silence, saying the case altered his life.

The backstory:

Ben Alvarez, who was accused of mistreating and neglecting his animals on his Rio Verde property, shared his side of the story after negative messages online caused him to lose jobs.

He said he was sick with worry over the prospect of losing his animals, or even going to jail.

"He wants to clear his name. He wants people to hear that the judge made an informed decision on the evidence. And the evidence was overwhelming that these animals were perfectly cared for," said attorney Melissa Baugh.

Alvarez said investigators and people online rushed to snap judgments.

What he's saying:

"There were all of these people trashing me on soci

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