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SIGHTINGS

Man Guilty Of Molesting Sheep - Faces 15 Years By Valerie Kalfrin 5-10-00 SAN DIEGO (APBnews.com) - A San Diego County jury has convicted a man of molesting three sheep, two of them fatally, in an open-air pen last summer. James Donald Ray, 39, was found guilty Monday of felony animal cruelty and misdemeanor animal sexual assault after a weeklong trial, prosecutors said. The brown-haired, blue-eyed man broke down repeatedly while testifying about his predilection for animals, also known as zoophilism or bestiality. "It was always a deep, dark secret that he had," public defender Deborah Kirkwood told APBnews.com today. "He really wants help. He's begging for help now that it's out in the open. He knows what he did was wrong." Ray, a single San Diego County man who has no children, is scheduled to undergo a third psychiatric evaluation before District Court Judge Patricia Cookson sentences him July 10, authorities said. 24 states ban sex with animals The judge barred the media from releasing Ray's photograph, possibly out of concern for his safety in prison, said Gayle Falkenthal, spokeswoman for the district attorney's office. At least 24 states have laws prohibiting sexual activity with animals, according to the Humane Society of the United States in Washington. Penalties range from misdemeanor sentences in 19 states to fines as high as $50,000 in Montana and sentences up to 20 years in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Ray faces up to 15 years in prison, but only because he has six prior convictions on his record, such as auto theft. He could have served seven years had he accepted a plea agreement, Kirkwood said, but even that punishment the attorney found "excessive." Ray, who is unemployed, has been in custody since last August, when investigators from the San Diego County Sheriff's Department caught him trying to have sex with a ewe outside El Capitan High School in Lakeside. Two other sheep, part of the school's agricultural program, had died of sexual assault a few weeks earlier, prompting a stakeout. "There was a real concern this might escalate to the students, so we took it seriously. Obviously the jury did too," noted Falkenthal. Defense: Intent not malicious Ray "conceded" the sexual assault, but his attorney added that she didn't believe his actions fell within the state's definition of animal cruelty, which specifies intending to maim, mutilate, torture, wound or kill. "His intent was to complete a sexual act with the sheep rather than harm or kill the sheep," Kirkwood said. The Humane Society, which has targeted animal sexual abuse as part of its campaign against animal cruelty, disagrees with this defense. Like child sexual abuse, animal sexual abuse is an activity in which one party cannot consent or refuse, the agency said.

-- Flash (flash@flash.hq), May 14, 2000

Answers

baaaaa Humbug.

-- FutureShock (gray@matter.think), May 15, 2000.

This guy is in for a fun time in the cellblock tonight!

THIS JUST IN!!

The surviving sheep has retained noted lawyer Raoul Felder, and filed a breach of contract suit against Rolling Stones lead singer, Mick Jagger. Jagger, when informed that the sheep is a ewe remarked, no prob mate, no kiddies on this ride.

-- Ra (tion@l.1), May 15, 2000.

probably one of y2kpro1's ex's

-- richard (richard.dale@onion.com), May 15, 2000.

This is really baaaaaaaaaad. I hate to see animals or children abused; they are so innocent. It breaks my heart, but I guess this is a reality. :(

-- Maya (Maya@eck.ist), May 15, 2000.

remember the judge in maryland that said an 11 year old girl that was raped "asked for it" because it "takes two to tango"??? tell me these little sheep didn't ask for it??? i think that same judge would find for the defendant in this case too.

wonder how this guy got so perverted? hmmmm... anyone care to guess.

-- tt (cuddluppy@aol.com), May 15, 2000.

tt,

Good question!!!!! I've heard of counting sheep, but gee whiz...what the heck was he thinking???? I would like to slap that guy upside the head.

-- Maya (Maya@eck.ist), May 15, 2000.

Ewwwwwwwwwwwweee!!!!! (pun intended) How gross..

How the heck can you fatally molest a sheep/ewe? Anyone know?

Never heard of such a thing.

-- consumer (shh@aol.com), May 15, 2000.

"His intent was to complete a sexual act with the sheep rather than harm or kill the sheep,"

Like child sexual abuse, animal sexual abuse is an activity in which one party cannot consent or refuse, the agency said.

Wow!

-- fwiw (a@b.c), May 16, 2000.

It doesn't bother me that this guy got 15 years.

What DOES bother me is the fear that some people abusing children get LESS.

Frank

-- Someone (ChimingIn@twocents.cam), May 16, 2000.

I still wanna know how you fatally molest sheep.

Frank: I agree w/you on this one. Sad, isnt it.

-- consumer (shh@aol.com), May 17, 2000.

From: Y2K, ` la Carte by Dancr (pic), near Monterey, California

Orally?

-- Dancr (addy.available@my.webpage), May 18, 2000.