Jackson Z. Kelley, a 19-year-old man living in Boston, Massachusetts, was arrested earlier this week and now faces multiple charges after being reportedly captured on surveillance video sexually assaulting a horse at a nearby equestrian center located in Norfolk.
According to the Boston Herald, Kelley was accused of breaking into the area and committing the shocking act. He is being held without bail before his Friday court hearing, the MetroWest Daily News reported, which will decide whether or not the teen is a “danger to the public.”
Boston man arrested for sexual assault of Norfolk horsehttps://t.co/zYYiUskMHz
— Boston Herald (@bostonherald) July 21, 2021
The Boston Herald reported that Kelley was charged with sexual contact with an animal, cruelty to animals and breaking and entering, and reportedly turned himself in this past Tuesday, July 20, with his lawyer by his side.
The alleged assault, which reportedly occurred on the morning of July 15 at the Turner Hill Equestrian Center, was all captured on surveillance video, the outlet reported. A rape kit was later performed on the horse, which fortunately revealed no injuries.
A police statement obtained by the publication reportedly stated that the department was presented with “many calls providing information which eventually led to the identification of Kelley as the suspect.”
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Hillary Swarr, the owner of the Norfolk horse center, told the Boston Herald about the incident, “I look at this person as a sexual predator. It’s a threat to a very small community where a lot of people feel extremely violated and rightfully so,”
The state has clear laws in place related to bestiality. According to Massachusetts law, sexual contact with an animal is punishable by up to seven years for the first offense and up to 10 years for the second. It can also result in fines worth thousands of dollars.
Following a conviction, defendants are typically banned from owning or working with animals in the future.
