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Showing posts with label Bestiality. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bestiality. Show all posts
February 4, 2010
January 17, 2010
Goshen teen pleads guilty to burglary, but not having sex with horses
1-17-2010 New York:
GOSHEN — ___ admitted everything Tuesday in Orange County Court, except the part about having sex with horses.
The 18-year-old from the Village of Goshen pleaded guilty to third-degree burglary, a felony, admitting he burglarized the Goshen Historic Track for the purpose of committing a crime last year. But under questioning from Assistant District Attorney A.J. Iuele, ___ said he made his way into the landmark building for the purpose of stealing a candy bar.
The plea-bargain covered all the charges Goshen police filed against ____ last month, when they concluded a six-month investigation by charging him with sexual misconduct, petty larceny and burglary. The evidence against him included video surveillance. Prosecutors insisted that ___ plead guilty to the burglary, because it was the only felony he faced; sexual misconduct, the section of state Penal Law that bans sex with animals, is a misdemeanor, and so is petty larceny.
In return for his plea, ___ faces up to six months in jail and five years' probation when he's sentenced on Feb. 9 by County Court Judge Robert Freehill. Freehill could also impose a lesser sentence, such as straight probation, or sentence Rivera to a year in jail without probation.
___ answered questions in a monotone “Yes, sir” and “No, sir.” When Freehill asked ___ if he was satisfied with the free legal advice he received because he's indigent, he answered, “not really.”
But he eventually admitted that he understood what he was doing and that if he rolled the dice, went to trial and lost, he could have faced up to 2-1/3 to seven years in state prison for the burglary.
___ admitted to village police that he used bridles to restrain the horses while he had his way with them. Police said ___ admitted he had intercourse a dozen times with four horses stabled at the landmark racetrack. He didn't break in, but ___ didn't have permission to be in the building, and he intended to commit a crime, which made him a burglar in the eyes of the law.
The case spawned a plethora of jokes and seems destined to become local legend, but Village police Chief James Watt isn't laughing. He said, “I'd like to see the community protected from this individual. This isn't one person on a drunken lark, doing this one time.”
After he pleaded guilty, ___ returned to the Orange County Jail, where he's been held in lieu of $15,000 bail since he was arrested Dec. 17.
He lived alone in a room at the Goshen Inn, next to the track on Park Place. He appeared to have been living in the village for about a year, Watt said, and he didn't seem to have a steady job.
During Tuesday's proceedings, Freehill acknowledged that ___ may have a previous conviction in Puerto Rico. That was news to ___'s lawyer, Gary Abramson of the Orange County Legal Aid Society, who asked him in a loud whisper, “Have you been convicted of something in Puerto Rico?” But ___ didn't respond, and prosecutors didn't place any evidence of a previous conviction on the record. That task may fall to the county's probation department, which will investigate ___'s background before sentencing and make a non-binding sentencing recommendation to the judge.
Abramson said he'll ask Freehill to treat ___ as a youthful offender, which would seal the conviction from the public record. Iuele said prosecutors will oppose that, and Freehill didn't say what he'll do when ___ returns to court next month. ..Source.. Oliver Mackson, TImes Herald-Record
January 9, 2010
Chelsea rabbit rapist convicted of cruelty
1-9-2010 Massachusetts:
Animal lovers be warned - this report is not for the squeamish.
Abel Aguirre, 38, of Chelsea was convicted yesterday of animal cruelty for having sex with his roommate’s rabbit, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office said. He faces up to 2 years in the House of Correction and a $2,500 fine at sentencing today.
Aguirre assaulted the rabbit June 1, 2008, district attorney spokesman Jake Wark said. Aguirre’s roommate told investigators she came home and found blood and clumps of rabbit fur on the bathroom floor and a claw belonging to the bunny. In Aguirre’s room, she found a used condom with rabbit fur on it. The rabbit was injured and bleeding.
"My jaw hit the floor,” one juror said about the disturbing testimony. The rabbit has died, but not of its injuries, Wark said. ..Source.. Edward Mason
January 8, 2010
Men reach deal in bestiality case
1-8-2010 Tennessee:
Two men accused of having sex with a horse at a Maury County farm were sentenced to probation after reaching plea agreements with the state.
James Michael Tait, 58, pleaded no contest Monday to five counts of criminal offenses against animals and was given 10 years probation. Kenny E. Thomason, 44, pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of criminal offenses against animals and was given two years of probation.
Detective Terry Chandler, who investigated the case, said the plea agreement helped to avoid a trial that would have likely drawn a media circus, given the bizarre nature of the accusations.
“I feel like justice has come out with this,” he said. “If there had been a trial, who knows what would have happened.”
Chandler said the state does not require the men be entered into the Tennessee Sex Offender Registry, which is a database of sex offenders made available to the public and published on the Internet. Chandler, along with District Attorney General Mike Bottoms, said they would like lawmakers to consider adding people who commit bestiality to the sex-offender list.
Thomason was fined $500 and will be responsible for paying the veterinarian bill for the horses.
Efforts to reach Tait and Thomason were unsuccessful Wednesday. Attorney John Colley, who represented Thomason, declined comment. Tait’s lawyer could not be reached Wednesday.
Tait and Thomason were accused of having sex with horses and dogs over a span of several months on a farm on Double Branch Road. Christy Morris, 35, of Pulaski was also charged with allegedly engaging in sex acts with animals and is awaiting trial.
Bottoms, who prosecuted the case, said a recently passed law was instrumental in bringing the men to justice.
“Otherwise, we might not have been able to do anything,” he said.
The law, which was passed in 2007, made it a felony offense to have sex with an animal in Tennessee. Previously, there was no statute dealing specifically with bestiality.
This isn’t the first time Tait made headlines for fostering intimate relationships with equine. In 2005, Tait photographed Kenneth Pinyan, a 45-year-old Boeing engineer who died from internal injuries he suffered while engaging in sex acts with a horse at a farm in Washington state.
Tait pleaded guilty to trespassing, and Pinyan’s death prompted Washington state lawmakers to pass a bill outlawing sex with animals. ..Source.. SKYLER SWISHER
November 5, 2009
VA- Five correctional officers charged in dog fondling
11-5-2009 Virginia:
Five Virginia Department of Corrections officers have been charged with animal cruelty involving the fondling of a K-9 dog and videotaping the two incidents.
All five officers were training at the Academy for Staff Development in Goochland County to become K-9 handlers. They were charged across the James River in Powhatan County where the kennel is located, at the Powhatan Correctional Center.
Facing misdemeanor animal-cruelty charges are Kelvin Thompson, 25, who works at Green Rock Correctional Center in Chatham; Melvin Boone, 40, who worked at the state prison in Sussex County; Adam R. Webb, 27, and Cheri Campbell, 35, who work at Nottoway Correctional Center; and Anthony Eldridge, 33, a sergeant who worked at Nottoway.
Powhatan Commonwealth’s Attorney Robert B. Beasley Jr. said Thompson “allegedly had some sexual contact with the animal.“ The male dog, a German shepherd or shepherd mix, was not harmed, he said.
“Essentially, he was touching the dog’s penis with his hand,“ Beasley said. “The others were there filming it. That’s actually how we learned of it — there’s a video.“
A corrections employee saw the video and reported it to a superior, Beasley said.
The events occurred between June 16 and Aug. 1, according to arrest warrants. All five officers were charged Oct. 2 by summons.
Terry N. Grimes, a Roanoke attorney representing Thompson, said his client planned to plead not guilty but admitted to fondling the animal.
“I would characterize it as hazing,“ he said, claiming that Thompson was told by the others, “If you masturbate your K-9 unit, you’ll have greater control over it.“
The Department of Corrections confirmed that Eldridge and Boone no longer are employed by the state, but Thompson, Webb and Campbell are.
The Department of Corrections acknowledged that the matter had been investigated internally but declined to say whether Eldridge and Boone were terminated or left voluntarily. The department also would not say whether the others were on leave.
Grimes suggested Beasley would have a difficult time proving animal cruelty.
“The statute is not set up to deal with this type of thing. I don’t think the legislature quite had this in mind,“ he said.
Beasley said the misdemeanor charge for each defendant was the same, punishable by up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
“They were all kind of there assisting in one way or the other,“ he said.
In Virginia, bestiality is covered by crimes against nature, which could have resulted in a felony charge, according to state statutes. But a felony charge requires “carnal knowledge” of a “brute beast,“ implying intercourse, said Beasley, who added that he consulted with the state veterinarian’s office before filing the charges.
Trial is set for Nov. 20 for all except Webb, who will be tried Dec. 11.
Asked if he knew why the officers videotaped the incidents, Beasley replied: “I don’t have the slightest idea — I really don’t.“ ..Source.. by Wesley P. Hester
July 30, 2009
GA- Sex with animals? It’s not uncommon
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March 27, 2009
FL- Sen. Nan Rich Defends Bestiality Bill
This is interesting because it is a case of bad reporting, in that, the reporter failed to look at the site mentioned by the legislator Humane Society of the United States which cites a page full of statistics proving their contention.
3-27-2009 Florida:
Of all the thorny, polarizing, and controversial subjects that a state legislator must handle, Sen. Nan Rich probably didn't think she'd have to explain the logic behind a bill that makes bestiality illegal.
And to be fair, she doesn't have to explain it to anyone -- everybody else, it seems, gets it -- except me.Last week, I consulted with some leading experts in the field of zoophilia -- sexual attraction to animals. Drs. Hani Miletski and Andrea Beetz had both found that "zoos" have genuine affection for their animal lovers. They suggest that the "correlation" that Rich has been touting between bestiality and sex crimes against humans is the product of flawed research and that it should not be the basis for outlawing bestiality.
I asked Rich's office to provide the studies that back her claims, and her staff did so. But the studies appear to contain exactly the flaw that Miletski and Beetz had predicted -- the research subjects were already sex offenders. Milestki said that people with antisocial personality disorder, which affects many sex offenders, may have a kind of sex with animals that is different than the kind that true zoos have. The former rapes animals. The latter dotes on the animals, seeking a bond that's similar to the one between spouses. Miletski objects to a law that treats the two with one policy.
"They're wrong," says Rich, when told of the objections of Beetz and Miletski.
"There is a very strong correlation. Bestiality is an indicator of sexually deviant crimes." I mentioned the researchers' objection to studies limited to sex offenders. "They can say all they want," said Rich. "All I can say is that the studies I have read are from credible sources." Here is one study that's in electronic form.
Rich said that the correlation with sex crimes isn't the only reason she's brought the legislation. "An animal has feelings," she says. "It's a living thing. I've worked with the Humane Society of the United States, and they feel the same way.
"The bill is being heard in the Florida House today, and it's moving quickly toward passage before the end of the legislative session. I asked Rich whether she anticipated any opponents, and she responded, incredulously, "How would anybody voice objection? Who thinks it's OK to have sex with animals?" ..News Source.. by Thomas Francis
March 22, 2009
States considering laws against bestiality
3-22-2009 National:
Gives a whole new meaning to the term "sexual predator"
You might think that’s just a joke in poor taste, but the 800 people who live in Klawock, Alaska found out that there was little the police could do to punish a registered sex offender who witnesses say lured a local family’s dog into the woods near a ball field, tied it to a tree, duct taped its muzzle shut and had sex with it.
Alaska is one of 15 states where sexual activity with animals is not explicitly prohibited.
Previously, such cases could be prosecuted under sodomy laws in many states but a 2003 Supreme Court decision struck down the last of those laws that were more frequently applied to homosexual activity.
The dog that was allegedly assaulted did not require veterinary care but appeared to have suffered physically and psychologically. Lacking any other statute under which he could charge the man, the District Attorney first charged him with two counts of criminal mischief, which was later changed to a theft charge.
Last week Alaska’s House Judiciary Committee heard testimony that would expand the state’s animal cruelty law to include sexual conduct, making bestiality a class A misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a $10,000 fine. The bill has the support of an unlikely coalition that includes the Department of Corrections, the Alaska Farm Bureau, the Humane Society of the United States, and the Alaska Peace Officers Association.
Florida is also considering a bill that would make sex with animals punishable by up to five years in prison. Tennessee banned the practice in 2007, following Arizona and Washington state in 2006. All three did so following high profile and disturbing bestial acts that they were unable to vigorously prosecute.
The laws are intended not just to protect defenseless animals but also the public.
The Humane Society says that studies have shown a strong link between the sexual assault of animals and sex crimes against humans. ..News Source.. by OhMyGOV.com
October 17, 2008
OK- Woman Sentenced In Bestiality Case
See earlier articles:
10-17-2008 Oklahoma:
Tulsa - A judge has sentenced a Tulsa County woman accused of engaging in sexual acts with dogs to a five-year suspended sentence.
District Judge William Kellough on Friday ordered ongoing psychological assistance for 55-year-old Diane Sue Whalen, who had entered a no-contest plea to a charge of a crime against nature.
Whalen also must register as a sex offender, have no contact with animals or her co-defendant, Donald Roy Siegfried. She must also pay $350 in fines and fees.
Siegfried waived his right to a jury trial at a hearing Monday and is scheduled to make a formal plea before Kellough on Nov. 17. ..News Source.. by News Channel 8
OK- Fate of dogs in sex case not decided
See also: Woman receives suspended sentence in dog-sex case.
10-17-2008 Oklahoma:
Tulsa County sheriff's deputies who investigated a couple's alleged sexual practices with dogs recommended that the dogs be euthanized because they "have been trained to rape," but Undersheriff Brian Edwards said Tuesday that the Sheriff's Office has not made an official decision about the dogs in the case.
"We do have a plan to have a veterinarian evaluate the dogs, so all options are on the table," he said. "This is a difficult case, and there are a lot of conflicting interests."
A hearing has been set for Wednesday for Donald Roy Seig-fried, 55, who prosecutors allege videotaped his girlfriend, Diane Sue Whalen, 54, performing sex acts with the dogs.
Tulsa County prosecutors filed for the hearing on behalf of the Sheriff's Office to determine the cost of providing care for Seigfried's blue heeler, which was taken to the Tulsa Animal Shelter along with two dogs owned by Whalen, court records show.
Assistant District Attorney David Iski said, "It is primarily to address the cost of care of the animal while it is in the custody of the Sheriff's Office."
A similar hearing took place June 25 for Whalen, who forfeited her dogs, a blue heeler and a mixed breed, to the Sheriff's Office after agreeing that authorities had probable cause to determine that they had been abused, Iski said.
A court affidavit says authorities seized all three dogs last month after Whalen's son found materials at his mother's home in west Tulsa County that showed her performing sex acts with the dogs and notified authorities.
Deputies on June 1 seized allegedly pornographic material that included 60 cassette tapes and 107 DVDs, an affidavit shows.
One affidavit states that Whalen told authorities that Seigfried "was involved in taping, directing and giving advice to Whalen as she performed in the movies."
A different affidavit, however, says Seigfried has denied videotaping Whalen engaged in sex acts with the dogs.
Seigfried has not forfeited his dog, and Iski said he would ask the judge to consider two options in determining the cost of providing care for it.
One is to charge Seigfried an impound fee of $25 plus $5 a day for providing food, water and care while the animal is at the shelter, he said.
The other option is to ask that Seigfried forfeit ownership of the dog to the Sheriff's Office, which then would be charged for the dog's care at the shelter.
All three dogs are being held as evidence in the cases against Whalen and Seigfried, who were charged June 23 with crimes against nature, a felony.
Seigfried was booked into the Tulsa Jail on June 24 and was released on $10,000 bond later that day.
Whalen was booked into jail June 26 and was released on $7,500 bond later that day.
Neither Whalen nor Seig-fried, who documents state lives in Skiatook and with Whalen, could be reached for comment.
Tulsa Animal Shelter Manager Jean Letcher said she had been advised not to comment on the condition of any of the dogs or about the case. ..News Source.. by DAVID SCHULTE World Staff Writer
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