| Case ID: 19011 |
| Classification: Bestiality, Choking / Strangulation / Suffocation |
| Animal: dog (non pit-bull) |
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| Drugs or alcohol involved |
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| Prosecutor(s): | Hilary Franzoia |
| Defense(s): | Jennifer Stoneburner |
| Judge(s): | Thadd Blizzard |
For more information about the Interactive Animal Cruelty Maps, see the map notes.
Tuesday, Mar 1, 2011
County: SacramentoCharges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Convicted
Defendant/Suspect: Robert Edward DeShields
A Sacramento judge today sentenced a man convicted of animal abuse to 10 years in state prison and ordered him to register as a sex offender over strong objections from his defense lawyer. It may represent the first time that "Jessica's Law" has been applied in a case involving sexual abuse of an animal, a county prosecutor said.
The man's defense lawyer indicated she will appeal.
A Superior Court jury convicted Robert Edward DeShields, a parolee and chronic methamphetamine user, of felony animal cruelty in the sexual abuse of a Chihuhahua mix named Shadow.
Sacramento Deputy District Attorney Hilary Bagley Franzoia argued in court Friday that DeShields be treated as a sexual offender for the rest of his life because he is a danger to society.
The defendant's lawyer, Jennifer Stoneburner, argued that her client was convicted of animal abuse, not a sexual crime.
But Judge Thadd Blizzard concluded that the crime that DeShields committed was "inherently sexual in nature" and ordered him to register as a sex offender. As such, DeShields will be prohibited from living near schools and places where children gather and must wear a tracking device on his ankle for the rest of his life. Blizzard also imposed the maximum sentence of 10 years, saying that the defendant's conduct represents "a serious threat to society."
De Shields, who is confined to a wheelchair, was renting a living space from a South Sacramento family who had an 8-month-old Chihuahua mix.
A family member came home in March to find De Shields holding the dog, who looked scared. The next day, the dog went missing and was later found with De Shields in the garage, this time in pain and shock.
A veterinary check determined the dog had severe injuries to its rectum and internal organs.
According to the DA's Office, De Shields has not been out of custody for more than five months in the last 19 to 20 years.
The sentence of lifetime registration on the sex offender list may seem odd in an animal cruelty case, however the District Attorney says it means De Shields' sentence will now be served at a state prison. Without the imposition of the sex offender registry, he would have served the ten year sentence at a county jail because of California's recent realignment plan.
The chihuahua - Shadow - now lives in a foster home with county shelter employee Laura Badeker. She said the following during Friday's hearing.
"Shadow is a victim in every sense of the word," she told the judge. The dog is extraordinarily fearful of men, "like many victims of sexual assault," she said, and may never fully recover from its physical wounds.
References
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