Dog sexually assaulted
Coker, AL (US)

Incident Date: Sunday, Feb 27, 2011
County: Tuscaloosa

Charges: Misdemeanor
Disposition: Alleged

Alleged: Samuel Earl Sims

A Coker man charged with animal cruelty admitted that he sexually abused a dog, Sheriff Ted Sexton said Monday.

Three witnesses told deputies that they saw Samuel Earl Sims, 56, abusing the mixed-breed dog at a home on Hillview Lane around midnight Sunday.

"These witnesses happened to observe this by accident," Sexton said. "They were shocked and appalled."

Deputies had the same reaction. They were working today to upgrade the misdemeanor animal cruelty charge to a felony. There is no anti-bestiality law in Alabama. Investigators may be able to classify the act as torture, which would allow the charge to be upgraded. The animal was being examined by veterinarian Dr. Jimmy Canant Monday morning.

"We're aggressively trying to seek more serious charges," Sexton said.

The sheriff did not provide further details about the situation. He said that Sims admitted his guilt.

"Our defendant did give a statement admitting to the allegation that he had sexual intercourse with the dog," he said. "This is the first time in my career that I have heard of anyone doing this."

Two deputies discussing the case in Sexton's office Monday morning said that they had heard similar allegations in the past, but did not know of any cases where there was evidence or an arrest made.

Sims pleaded guilty to an arson charge in 1992 after setting fire in several trailers and a car at a mobile home park in Shelby County. The court file indicated that Sims cannot read or write and has a fifth-grade education. A probation officer wrote that he was "somewhat" mentally disabled.

Sims remained in the Tuscaloosa County Jail Monday morning with bail set at $500.

References

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