Case Snapshot
Case ID: 16677
Classification: Bestiality
Animal: horse
More cases in Morgan County, GA
More cases in GA
Login to Watch this Case

New features are coming soon. Login with Facebook to get an early start and help us test them out!


Attorneys/Judges
Prosecutor(s): Alison Burleson


For more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.



Thursday, Jun 24, 2010

County: Morgan

Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Convicted

Defendant/Suspect: Richard Lawson Moss

Case Updates: 1 update(s) available

A convicted child molester was arrested last Thursday on felony bestiality charges after he allegedly was observed having sex with a foal.

Richard Lawson Moss, 60, was arrested Thursday morning after the owner of a horse stable notified the Morgan County Sheriff's Office that Moss had been observed by a veterinarian with the horse.

According to Sgt. Kevin Berisko, the veterinarian walked through the stables on Wednesday during an unannounced visit. After allegedly observing the act, the veterinarian alerted the stable owner, who had left the area to run errands.

Berisko said Moss has confessed to the crime and that he remains incarcerated at the Morgan County Detention Center.

According to the Morgan County Sheriff's Office website, Moss was convicted of child molestation charges in November, 1997. Berisko said Moss was currently on probation for the child molestation charges. Berisko said Moss had been employed at the stable for approximately one year.


Case Updates

A man charged with bestiality in June pled guilty to the charge last week in Morgan County Superior Court.

Richard Moss, 60, Buckhead, received a five-year sentence with three years to serve and the remainder to be served on probation, according to court documents.

Moss, who was convicted of child molestation in 1997, was arrested after a veterinarian observed him having sex with a foal, Morgan County authorities said after the arrest.

According to Alison Burleson, assistant district attorney, Ocmulgee Judicial District, Moss made his plea during a "plea day" in Morgan County Superior Court. Moss has been incarcerated since his arrest, Burleson said, because the arrest violated his probation on the child molestation conviction.

As part of the probation agreement on the bestiality charge, Moss cannot have contact with the horse owner or enter the owner's property. He also is charged with 19 other "additional conditions of probation" including forbidding contact with minors, submitting to polygraph examinations, submitting to searches of his person and property, submitting to drug and alcohol screens and providing a driving log to his parole officer.

Also, according to the additional conditions of probation, Moss may "never drive alone, especially through parks, playgrounds, school zones, or other areas where children are commonly known to be."

Any future employment by Moss once he is released from incarceration must be approved by a parole officer.
Source: Morgan County Citizen - Oct 22, 2010
Update posted on Oct 22, 2010 - 5:24PM 

References

  • « GA State Animal Cruelty Map
    « More cases in Morgan County, GA

    Note: Classifications and other fields should not be used to determine what specific charges the suspect is facing or was convicted of - they are for research and statistical purposes only. The case report and subsequent updates outline the specific charges. Charges referenced in the original case report may be modified throughout the course of the investigation or trial, so case updates, when available, should always be considered the most accurate reflection of charges.

    For more information regarding classifications and usage of this database, please visit the database notes and disclaimer.