bobsnin
05-15-2008, 11:57 AM
Palm Beach Gardens man accused of sexually assaulting 2 dogs
By BY MARK HOLLIS Sun-Sentinel
Originally published 03:34 p.m., May 15, 2008
Updated 03:34 p.m., May 15, 2008
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 nor 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."
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2008/may/15/palm-beach-gardens-man-accused-sexually-assaulting/
Dave said he's never been to Florida, right?
By BY MARK HOLLIS Sun-Sentinel
Originally published 03:34 p.m., May 15, 2008
Updated 03:34 p.m., May 15, 2008
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 nor 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."
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2008/may/15/palm-beach-gardens-man-accused-sexually-assaulting/
Dave said he's never been to Florida, right?