Comparing Two Cases of Bestiality

Reason for this entry:  Reports of animal sexual abuse is relatively low, however there are scores of websites promoting zoophilia.  Zoophiles communicate and share animal pornography in chat rooms.  Illegal websites disappear and reappear, changing their names; identities are kept secret.  Since these crimes are so far underground, and the animal victims do not have a voice, too many incidents are unreported.

Here are my two cases I wish to compare and contrast.

Case 1:

In February 2013, in Las Vegas, Karen Vandereyk, age 23, had sexual relations with her pit bull in her back yard.  She was naked and caught in the act by police.  As police approached, she said, “Hi,” and continued sexually fondling the dog.  After stopping her, the police questioned her, and she did not know her name, what year it was, or our current president.  She admitted to the police that she had bipolar disorder.  There is also the possibility that she was under the influence of drugs, but no test results were reported.

Unfortunately, the state of Nevada does not prohibit bestiality.  Vandereyk was charged with gross lewdness since she was committing these acts in public.

Case 2:

In November 2012, in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, Brittney Sonnier, age 20, was arrested for bestiality.  She had been having sexual relations with her two family dogs over the course of seven years.  She also possessed animal pornographic photos, and had an interest in incest.

Sonnier admitted to her boyfriend about her zoophilia and showed him the animal porn pictures by using his phone to search for them.  He was very disturbed.  First he talked with Sonnier’s father who passively disapproved her actions but wanted to get custody of her toddler son.  The boyfriend then notified the police which resulted in her arrest.  She was charged with bestiality.  Later her charge was two accounts of crimes against nature.

Analysis

Both perpetrators were women close in age, and all the victims were dogs, making this an even comparison.  Dogs and horses are the most common victims in this form of sexual violation.

Vandereyk's bipolar disorder plays a role in her crime since bipolar patients are capable of being sexually indiscreet during periods of mania.  If she was on any drugs, depending on the controlled substance, it may have worsened her condition, further reducing her self-control.  If the drug was cocaine or crystal meth, then the dopamine rush would increase arousal plus reduce her sexual inhibitions.  If she was influenced by marijuana or alcohol, then this could mean she had a history of sexual interaction with her dog and the drugs made her too lazy and indiscreet to hide it.

This would be a comparison between long-term and short-term abuse cases, but the length of time of Vandereyk's criminality is unknown.  It is possible Vandereyk’s crime was only one incident.  The police did not report that she had admitted to earlier incidents, and her actions could be as temporary as her drug trip.  However, since there is no law against bestiality in Nevada, there was no investigation looking deeper into the situation.  There is a chance Vandereyk was sexually abusing her pit bull over a period of time.  Maybe she was used to doing these acts that she thought no one would notice even if she committed it outside.  Though, when police approached her, she did not react as if she was trying to hide anything.  She seemed unaware that she was indecent publicly and continued her behavior while disregarding the presence of law enforcement.  This reaction could have been a result of drug influence.

In contrast, Sonnier’s history of bestiality has been confirmed in police reports.  In Arizona, bestiality is illegal and an investigation ensued.  According to the animal sexual abuse fact sheet from my references, Bonnier was a Fixed/Primary abuser, whereas Vandereyk may have been Experimental.

Sonnier confessed her ugly feelings to her boyfriend after a bond was formed.  They were together for about 7 months, and they knew each other well enough that he could openly communicate with her father.  Sickly, Sonnier even waited until after forming a sexual relationship with her boyfriend before telling him her dark secrets.  Not only did she gain his trust, she could have transmitted a disease to him.

Her father was very aware of Sonnier's behaviors, since she had admitted to her sexual deviance.  Her father believed her initial reason was because she couldn't get a boyfriend.  At the time, she was 13, and the dog was 6 years old.  The other dog was adopted later, and was about two years old when Sonnier was arrested.  With full knowledge of his daughter's bestiality, why did he allow it to continue and why did he allow a second dog in the house?  It is possible that she admitted her crime after the second dog was adopted, but that part is only possible, not known.

Sonnier made the effort to cover up her criminality over time.  She trained her dogs to act normal around other people so no one would get suspicious.  She kept all her exploits private and almost no one knew except for her father who did not report her.  She had more criminal discretion than Vandereyk, making her harder to catch and allowing her to continue abusing her two dogs.

©2013 Caroline Friehs
Originally posted: April 2, 2013
Last updated upon blog renovation completion.

References:

Guillermo, M (2013 Feb 20).  Vegas woman arrested for sex with pit bull.  KCTV5.  Retrieved from:  http://www.kctv5.com/story/21288854/vegas-woman-arrested-for-sex-with-pit-bull

-back yard.

Lohr, D (2012 Nov 29).  Brittany Sonnier Accused Of Engaging In Illicit With Family Dogs.  The Huffington Post.  Retrieved from:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/29/brittany-angelique-sonnier_n_2212694.html

Stuart, H (2013 Feb. 21).  Kara Vandereyk, Las Vegas Woman, Had Sex With Pit Bull: Police.  Huffington Post.  Retrieved from:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/21/kara-vandereyk-las-vegas-woman-sex-with-pitbull-police_n_2732966.html

Vermont Animal Cruelty Task Force (2004).  Animal Sexual Abuse Fact Sheet.  VACTF.org.  Retrieved from:  http://www.vactf.org/pdfs/bestiality-factsheet.pdf