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Saturday, December 5, 2009

Horse owner warns about risk of animal molestation

AZ Central

by Beth Duckett - Dec. 5, 2009 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic
A Phoenix horse owner is fighting to warn others about what she thinks are recurring acts of bestiality on her property, sparking testimony from other Valley equestrians about similar incidents.
Melinda Gustafson said she thinks one of her horses was sexually molested by a human at least four times on her property in the 15000 block of North 40th Place. She believes the activity started 17 months ago, with the most recent episode in October.
A detective with the Phoenix Police Department, whose officers were called to the home, told The Arizona Republic that, while there were indications Gustafson's horse was physically abused, police believe a thief was trying to steal the animal. They found nothing to indicate the intruder tried to have sex with the horse, as Gustafson asserts.
A police report describing Gustafson's account of the incident notes that she heard her neighbor's dogs barking in the early morning of Oct. 3 and went outside to investigate. Before reaching the horse stall, she saw a man bolt out and jump the fence. Gustafson told police she found an extension cord wrapped tightly around her horse's neck.
The cord may have been used in the attempt to steal the horse, said Detective James Holmes, a Phoenix police spokesman. But Gustafson, who originally thought it was attempted theft, now believes the cord points to something more perverse.
Following the incident, Gustafson's friend posted details of the crime on an equine Web site. Soon after, the phone started ringing.
"I started getting calls from victims of the same nature," Gustafson said. "They said it's a sexual thing they (intruders) are doing with the animals."
The horse owners claimed criminals use extension cords to strangulate the animals before engaging in intercourse with them.
Michelle Coppock is a horse owner who responded to Gustafson's post. Several years ago, six horses were sexually assaulted at Coppock's stables in Tempe, prompting her to relocate. Coppock said the sexual assaults went on for more than a year.
Police reports indicate the crimes occurred on at least five occasions at the Papago Riding Stables in the 400 block of North Scottsdale Road.
Coppock said a foal was likely made infertile from internal damage caused by an assault.
"I personally could not handle it anymore," Coppock said. "The stables lost a lot of boarders because of it."
Equine veterinarian James Foley said that a thief would likely use a halter, not a cord, to steal a horse, making it plausible that such cords were used to strangulate the horses and bring them to the ground before being sexually molested. Given the animal's size, it would otherwise be difficult to gain control, he said.
"Unless you have a very gentle or restrained mare, it would be difficult to sexually abuse a horse," said Foley, who owns a mobile vet practice in the northeast Valley.
Roughly 30 states have laws prohibiting sexual contact between humans and animals, according to the Animal Legal & Historical Web Center of Michigan State University. Arizona has one of the toughest.
A bestiality bill enacted in 2006 makes it a felony to engage in sexual intercourse and certain sex acts with an animal. It was proposed after the arrest of a Mesa deputy fire chief accused of molesting a neighbor's lamb.
Gustafson, who has tightened security on her property, said she fears animal abusers will graduate to more serious crimes like human rape.
"It could become something more serious," Gustafson said. "For these people to come into a neighborhood and on my property, that's scary."
Her concerns are backed by the Humane Society of the United States, which suggests a connection between sexual abuse of animals and sex crimes against people.
"It's an even more serious sign of someone who is very disturbed and has to be stopped," said Mary Lou Randour, director of the organization's Department of Human-Animal Relations.
The Humane Society of the United States provides links to studies on its Web site, including one study that says up to 37 percent of sexually violent juvenile offenders could have a history of animal sexual assault.
Randour believes law enforcement has become aware of the problem. But she believes more should be done to educate officials and prosecutors on the importance of targeting these abusers.
"By pursuing these kinds of cases, they can prevent violence toward people and the community," Randour said. "It's being able to target the more serious offenders."

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