M Jenny Edwards
Criminalist, Independent Researcher
WHAT IS BESTIALITY?
THE BEST KEPT CRIMINAL SECRET
Bestiality (sometimes incorrectly referred to as zoophilia) is the intentional sexual conduct or contact between a human and an animal.
Bestiality is specifically illegal in most US states; please check for current laws in your jurisdiction.
Bestiality has been linked to a number of other criminal acts such as pedophilia, making and distribution of extreme pornography, and aggravated cruelty toward humans and animals.
WHO DOES IT?
AS MUCH AS 5% OF THE POPULATION
There is no single profile that fits all animal sex offenders just as there is no single profile that fits all human sex offenders.
While the majority of offenders are white, middle-aged men, the number of women and couples is rising.
Incidents have been reported worldwide, so ethnicity, race, gender, and even primary sexual preference can vary.
FOR MORE INFO ...
ARTICLES, RESEARCH, and EDUCATION
Check out the BLOG for commentary on current cases, research articles, and hot topics.
Click on LAWS for applicable statutes in the U.S. and many foreign countries.
OFFENDER PROFILES is where you'll find case files and behavior patterns
CLASSES are available for law enforcement, prosecutors, mental health professionals, and academics
CONTACT ME if you need assistance with a specific issue.
IN THE NEWS
Couple arrested for Child Sexual Abuse, and Pornography involving animals and children
October 13, 2017
In 2015 Missouri police arrested Duffy Dean Woodman, 50 in connection with the sexual abuse of a 10 year-old child. After searching his residence, police seized multiple laptops, tablet computers, cell phones, and a CD. More 400 images of child porn or erotica were found, along with 12 bestiality images.
In January 2016, Woodman's girlfriend Misty Ray Obermark, was arrested in connection with the case and charged with child endangerment and victim tampering.
Babies, Bondage, and Bestiality
October 5, 2017
Anthony Cotter, 30 of Springfield, Missouri has been arrested for managing an online chat group that shared child pornography. According to court documents, the group consisted of 50 members who exchanged images various types of sexual abuse of children from infants to approximately 12 years old. Some of the images depicted bondage and bestiality and sex acts by both men and women. The case is being prosecuted in federal court. Cotter's next hearing is scheduled for October 10.
Dangerous animal sex offender lost on appeal
October 7, 2017
More than 25 years ago, a 16 year-old-girl caught British citizen Julian Ridgeway half naked and getting ready to have sex with her pony mare. Ridgeway tried to kill the girl to keep her from turning him in, choking her unconscious and dragging her to a secluded place. When the girl began to revive, he once again choked her until she passed out. Ridgeway was found guilty of attempted murder and sentenced to 8 years.
In 2011, police found a video cassette at Ridgeway's home depicting a man being sodomized by a horse.
Last year, the owner of a mare noticed that the latch to her horse's stall was set differently. Julian Ridgeway lived down the road, so she and her husband hid in the barn to see if he was once again attempting horse rape. After a while, they saw Ridgeway, now 55, enter the horse's pen and then leading the 13-year-old mare into an outbuilding that housed pigs. He apparently had had sex with the horse before, and intended to again; DNA confirmed that Ridgeway had raped the horse.
Ridgeway was charged with two counts of bestiality and trespass with intent to commit a sexual offense. He was sentenced to four years in jail, and deemed a dangerous offender. Ridgeway appealed the decision, but the judge found that he was at high risk to reoffend and Ridgeway remains in jail as of this writing.
