CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WTVR) -- A Chesterfield dog owner said he is disgusted and still in disbelief after police arrested a teenage boy for crimes against nature.
The man said he is still coming to grips with what he saw the teen doing to his pregnant pit bull in the normally a sleepy Chesterfield County neighborhood tucked away off Robious Road.
The stunned pet’s owner, who did not want to be identified, said he could not believe what he saw when he looked out his window into his yard Tuesday afternoon.
"I heard the dogs raising a ruckus in the backyard," he said. "This boy was standing there. His pants were unzipped and exposed."
Police said a teenage boy, who apparently hopped over a fence in back to get into the man’s yard, has been charged with crimes against nature, a Class 6 felony.
"I came around the house and he was engaged in activity with the female pit bull,” the dog owner said shaking his head. “He saw me and jumped up, tried zipping up his pants and bolted for the fence."
When asked if the teen was actually having intercourse with the dog, he said, “That's correct. Unbelievable, right?"
Groups like the Humane Society of the United States point to studies that show a high correlation between the sexual abuse of animals and sexual abuse of children. One study linked to the Humane Society's web page found 96 percent of juveniles who sexually abused animals admit to sex offenses against humans.
CBS 6 Legal Expert Todd Stone said as disturbing as this case is, it still could have a positive outcome.
"Something like this may be needed to happen for this kid to have some intervention and get psychiatric treatment,” said Stone. “Especially before he becomes an adult."
Stone said upon conviction the crime requires registering as a sex offender. But he says it's up to a judge’s discretion and most likely the teen would get rehabilitation instead of that lifelong scarlet letter.
