Dog sexually assaulted - Fredericksburg , VA

Wednesday, Jun 1, 2011

County: Fredericksburg City

Disposition: Convicted

Defendant/Suspect: Jason Willis Sanborn

A man who had sexual relations with his 17-year-old Yorkshire terrier was ordered yesterday to serve four months in prison.

Jason Willis Sanborn, 35, was sentenced in Fredericksburg Circuit Court on Wednesday to a total of five years in prison with all but four months suspended. He had pleaded guilty in December to bestiality.

Judge Gordon Willis' sentenced exceeded the recommended state sentencing guidelines, which called for probation and no incarceration.

According to the evidence presented by prosecutor Kevin Gross, an investigation began in June after Sanborn placed an ad on Craigslist seeking "canine play."

Lori O'Pry-Huber, who works for the Stafford County SPCA, saw the ad and became suspicious.

O'Pry-Huber set up fictitious Internet accounts and began exchanging emails with Sanborn, convincing him that she shared his fetish.

Sanborn eventually sent O'Pry-Huber explicit pictures of him and the dog, Buddy. He also expressed interest in obtaining a larger dog.

O'Pry-Huber and SPCA executive director William Hoyt took the pictures and other information to city police.

Police raided Sanborn's home on Pitt Street in Fredericksburg and seized Buddy and two cats. A new home was found for Buddy, but he died nine days later.

The dog was nearly blind and had numerous health issues.

Gross said that although Sanborn was cooperative with police and had no prior criminal record, that did not excuse his "disgusting and perverted" sexual crime.

Sanborn made a statement in which he acknowledged that his life was on a wrong course and said getting arrested has actually benefited him.

Sanborn was also convicted in general district court of distributing obscene materials, a Class 3 misdemeanor. He got the maximum penalty for that offense, a $500 fine.

As part of his sentence Wednesday, Sanborn was ordered to not use the Internet and to never have a companion animal.

References

• « VA State Animal Cruelty Map
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