'Depraved' man, 52, filmed pet poodle performing sex acts on woman

A 52-year-old father who filmed his pet dog performing sex acts on a woman and uploaded them to a bestiality website claimed they were 'consenting adults'.

Robert Hurley, from Chellaston, Derby, was heard on the footage inciting and encouraging the poodle to engage in various sex acts with the woman, magistrates heard.

Hurley was arrested and charged after police investigating a domestic incident seized his phone and other electronic devices from his house in January 2021.

On the phone there were 25 videos and three images in which Hurley was identified along with a woman and the dog engaged in a sex act.

Southern Derbyshire Magistrates' Court heard that after he was charged, Hurley told probation officers it was simply "two consenting adults" engaged in the behaviour.

Prosecutions for bestiality in the UK are relatively rare.

According to figures obtained from the Ministry of Justice under a Freedom of Information request in 2017, between 2007 and 2016 a total of 27 people were convicted of the offence of having sexual intercourse with an animal contrary to sections 69(1) & (3) and 69(2) & (3) of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

Of those convictions, 25 took place in courts in England and the remaining two occurred in courts in Wales, the response said.

Ben Payne, prosecuting, said: "It was a poodle and the dog was being incited to engage in various sexual acts with the female by the defendant. There was also evidence of him uploading videos to a bestiality website which is an aggravating feature."

Hurley, of Griffin Close, pleaded guilty of possessing extreme pornographic images at a hearing in early August, and has now been handed a community order.

He was ordered to attend 40 rehabilitation sessions with the probation service and to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work. He was handed a five-year sexual harm prevention order and was also ordered to pay £85 costs and a £95 victim surcharge.

Read more: Distraught dinner lady says she's forced to 'taking lunches from hungry children' who have no money

District Judge Jonathan Taaffe said: "To describe this matter, as you did to (the probation officer) as 'two consenting adult behind closed doors, what does it matter?' displays an error of judgement at best and at worst degenerate and depraved behaviour. Any right-thinking person would see the type of behaviour you videoed and uploaded, even with the consent of the other person, as some form of abuse.

"Little or no thought was given to the welfare of the animal involved and I am satisfied your attraction to depraved areas of bestiality has to be confronted full-on. It was you who videoed it and it was you who encouraged the dog to perform sex acts and then proceeded to upload the images on the website."

Hurley, who has no previous convictions or cautions, has now lost his job after news of his conviction was made public.

Andy Oldroyd, mitigating, said that since the offences took place there had been no similar or other type of criminal behaviour by his client.

He said: "He tells me today his mother passed away sadly three months ago and that now means he is the carer for his father who is in his 80s.

"He has not seen his son and is unlikely to in the near future and he has lost his job as a result of these proceedings. He is living off his savings and he can only apologise for his behaviour. He is petrified of the proceedings today."