A 5-year sentence has been handed out to an American who was convicted of fondling and raping his 8-month-old dog.
According to an American news portal, FCN, James Guy Bull, 62, pleaded guilty to felony and misdemeanor animal cruelty charges and misdemeanor sexual activities involving animals in connection with the crimes, prosecutors said.
“The facts of this case are incomprehensible and vile,” State Attorney R.J. Larizza said after the sentence was handed down Friday. “The defendant’s abuse of the helpless dog shocks the collective conscience of the citizens of the Seventh Circuit and beyond.”
On March 18, two of Bull’s neighbors came forward, claiming they had seen him fondling the dog’s private parts on several occasions, despite cries and yelps from the animal.
At one point, a neighbor was walking near Bull’s apartment when he reportedly caught him in the act of having sex with the dog, prosecutors said. “When (Bull) saw (him), he pulled up his pants and put the dog down,” court records show.
When police arrived at Bull’s home, they said they found the small “clearly emaciated” dog chained to a post on the front porch. “She had about 8 inches of free reign, no water, no shelter and no food for her,” an affidavit said.
The same affidavit said the dog showed signs of physical sexual abuse and was “skittish and obviously afraid.”
The dog, now named Rose, is safe in the custody of an animal rescue.
