Aroma Pets

Man who filmed himself having sex with his black Labrador spared prison

Man who filmed himself having sex with his black Labrador spared prisonA man who filmed himself committing bestiality with his pet dog has avoided jail. A presiding judge said Peter Edwards, 36, would likely face taunts and violence from other inmates after he filmed himself abusing his dog Max. Courts heard that he had encouraged or allowed another man, Jonathan Barton, to continue the abuse.

Edwards has received a five-year sexual harm prevention order that bans him from staying alone with a dog.

Police found video footage on his phone and computer after receiving a tip-off and launching an investigation.

Bournemouth Crown Court heard that investigators also found photos and videos of child pornography and extreme pornography involving animals.

Officers later discovered some of the images showed him sexually abusing his black Labrador.

Handing down the prevention order, Judge Stephen Climie branded the acts "bizarre and utterly depraved" but stopped short of sending Edwards to prison.

He said his "peculiarities" may have made him a target of other prisoners.

Judge Climie said: "Because of your peculiarities, I don't mean that in an offensive manner, you would be highly vulnerable as a prisoner.

"You would be subjected not just to taunting but also some degree of violence from other inmates and that would achieve very little in rehabilitating you."

"Being dealt with in the community gives a real prospect of you never attending a courtroom again."

Courts heard Edwards, of South Perrott, Dorset, was autistic and highly intelligent but exhibited "bizarre attitudes and behaviours".

Edwards pleaded guilty to two offences of sexual intercourse with an animal, one count of encourage or assist with the commission of an offence, three counts of making indecent image of a child and three counts of possessing extreme pornographic images.

A three-year community order handed down by Judge Climie came with conditions to complete up to 60 rehabilitation activity days and observe a three-month curfew between 8am and 6pm.

And a five-year criminal behaviour order will prohibit Edwards from owning, possessing or looking after a dog while not in the company of its owner.

A sexual harm prevention order will keep Edwards' name on the sex offenders' register for five years.

Judge Climie warned that breaching these orders would land Edwards back in court.

He would face a starting sentence of 21 months in prison. 

Reference: Daily Express: Liam Doyle