With rumors spreading on social media throughout the region, Wyoming’s Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that detectives are actively investigating at least one alleged incident of trespassing and bestiality. In a press release issued on Tuesday, the Sheriff’s Office shared the following: ‘Near the end of June, a sheriff’s deputy took an initial report of suspected criminal trespass from a reporting party who owns horse corrals in the unincorporated Northpark neighborhood north of Rock Springs. The property owner told the deputy that they chained and locked the gate in a certain way when leaving their corral at night. When the owner returned to the corral the next day, they noticed the gate was chained differently. Given the suspicious circumstance, they set up a trail camera to surveil their corral. Days later, after reviewing photographs captured on the trail camera, the owners discovered someone entering the corral andapparently engaging in sex acts with their horses. Detectives have since identified and interviewed the man in the photographs, who has admitted to trespassing and to initiating sexual activities with two different horses…’ The man’s identity has been withheld and formal charges have not yet been filed. “While shocking, this is actually a very difficult case,” explains sheriff’s office spokesperson Jason Mower. “Wyoming is only one of a handful of states across the country without a bestiality statute on the books. Also, to satisfy the elements of a cruelty to animals charge, it’s our understanding that we would need to prove that the suspect’s actions in this case actually injured the animals.” The investigation is active and ongoing as detectives believe other horses in the area may also have been targeted. A possible assault is also under investigation related to when the property owners allegedly confronted the suspect. Anyone with information related to this investigation is invited to call 307-922-5345.
