Two dogs repeatedly sexually assaulted
Palm Beach Gardens, FL (US)Incident Date: Wednesday, May 14, 2008
County: Palm Beach
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: 17 year old male
Case Updates: 2 update(s) available
Two black-and-tan German shepherds have been put in the care of animal welfare workers as authorities investigate a Palm Beach Gardens man accused of sexually assaulting the dogs.
Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control officials on Wednesday asked a judge to give the county permanent custody of the pets.
County attorney Shannon Fox said in court papers that the man, who lives in an apartment with his mother, had repeatedly performed sexual acts with the dogs.
No arrest had been made by Wednesday evening but "an ongoing investigation" is under way, according to a Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman. An animal custody hearing will take place May 29. Neither the man or his mother could be reached for comment despite calls to their residence.
Officials said the investigation, which began more than a week ago, prompted renewed calls for a law making it a felony for people to have sex with animals.
Florida is one of about 20 states with no specific law prohibiting such acts. Outlawing bestiality, legislators say, would make it easier for law enforcement officials and prosecutors to clamp down on sexual abuse of animals. Since 2001, there have been at least a dozen documented cases in Florida.
This spring, state Sen. Nan Rich, D-Weston, filed legislation aimed at preventing anyone from knowingly committing bestiality, knowingly causing or aiding another person to have sex with an animal, or knowingly permitting sex with an animal. Rich filed the legislation, in part, because she has seen academic evidence that there is a direct correlation between animal abuse and child abuse. The legislation passed one legislative committee.
Rich said the struggle for passage of the legislation centers on the taboo subject and graphic nature of the acts.
"I think people are just uncomfortable with the subject matter," she said Wednesday. "It's just unfortunate that there's just not more ways to prosecute these atrocious acts, because there is so much evidence that they are an indicator of other sexual deviant crimes."
Case UpdatesAnimal welfare authorities in Palm Beach County say they are using extraordinary caution with the adoption of four pets seized in connection with an animal cruelty case.
Last month, a county judge ordered that a Palm Beach Gardens man and his mother, the owner of two German shepherds and two cats, be permanently barred from owning animals.
The judge was shown a videotape of the man having sex with one of the dogs.
Senior county officials said they intended for the animals to be adopted.
However, on Friday, officials said they are planning to limit availability of the pets only to county Animal Care and Control staffers.
If county officials do not adopt the pets by the middle of next week, the animals may be available to workers at certain "trusted rescue organizations," according to Dianne Sauve, the county Animal Care and Control director.
Sauve said she does not intend to place the animals for public adoption because of the publicity the bestiality case has received.
Sauve said the county intends to maintain a strict watch over the animals even after their adoption.
The black-and-tan German shepherds suffer from serious hip ailments and arthritis. In court papers and during court testimony, officials said one of the dogs suffered serious pain, suffering and cruelty.
Florida does not have a law that specifically outlaws sexual intercourse with animals.
An effort to outlaw bestiality under a bill sponsored by state Sen. Nan Rich, D-Weston, failed in this spring's state lawmaking session. | Source: Sun-Sentinel - June 7, 2008
Update posted on Jun 8, 2008 - 8:37PM |
A Palm Beach Gardens man and his mother, a middle school science teacher, are permanently barred from owning or possessing animals, a judge ruled Thursday after watching a short film of the man having sex in his bedroom with a German shepherd.
Palm Beach County Judge Frank Castor also ordered that the county be given custody of the woman's pets — two German shepherds and two cats — and ruled that she and her son, 18, jointly pay the county $1,848 in boarding costs and other fees.
The man, who was 17 at the time of the recorded activity, did not appear in court. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel is not identifying him because he was a juvenile at the time of the activity.
His mother, whose residence is where the sexual activity occurred, teaches at a public school. She testified at Thursday's hearing, insisting repeatedly that she was unaware of her son's sexual acts with her male German shepherd. She said she found the behavior reprehensible and out of character for her son, whom she said is a recently graduated high school honors student. Thursday's hearing included graphic details of the man's sexual acts, including descriptions of the film that Palm Beach County sheriff's investigators found stored on his personal computer in his bedroom.
Testimony was provided by a detective, county Animal Care and Control officials, including a chief veterinarian, and an expert animal trainer who said the videotape indicates the dog showed signs of submission and pain.
The woman urged the judge not to take away her dogs, and said not allowing her to have future pets "is punishing the mother for the sins of a son."
She told the judge, "I have not done anything wrong or have hurt these animals in any way. I was mortified to find this was going on."
The county intends to put the animals up for adoption. | Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel - May 30, 2008
Update posted on May 30, 2008 - 2:15PM |
References | Sun-Sentinel |
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