DANBURY, Conn. — A former Newtown teacher who brought a loaded gun into school purchased the weapon after receiving threatening messages from conspiracy theorists claiming the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre never occurred, his attorney said Thursday.

At his court appearance, Jason Adams, who resigned from Newtown Middle School following his arrest in April, received a form of probation that can lead to dismissal of the charges, The News-Times reported.

His attorney, John Maxwell, said Adams had received dozens of threatening phone calls and social media messages. One of the messages included a photo of his wife, Geri Adams, reading in a kindergarten class with the words "have fun reading to the dead children," Geri Adams said.

"We're just happy that this is finally over," she said.

The middle school is less than 2 miles from the site of the 2012 shooting rampage that killed 20 students and six educators.

On the day Adams was arrested, he said, he was running late and forgot to lock the gun inside his vehicle. There were no students in the school at the time, he said. Adams had a permit for the .45-caliber pistol, but state law prohibits firearms on school grounds. He was detained after a school employee saw the pistol and notified authorities.

Adams was placed on administrative leave after his arrest on weapons possession charges. He later resigned.

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Information from: The News-Times, http://www.newstimes.com