The Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Department confirmed Tuesday that it was looking into a report of a man sexually abusing horses.
According to a news release on the department’s Facebook page, a deputy took an initial report about a man trespassing on private property to engage with sexual acts with horses. The reporting party owns horse corrals in the Northpark neighborhood of Rock Springs.
The property owner told the deputy that they chained and locked the gate a certain way when leaving the corral at night. When they returned to the corral the next day, it was chained differently.
Given the suspicious circumstance, the property owner set up a trail camera to surveil the corral. Days later when reviewing photos, the property owner discovered images showing someone entering the corral and apparently engaging in sex acts with the horses.
Investigators identified the man in the images, who admitted to trespassing and engaging in sex acts with two horses. The man’s identity is being withheld until formal charges are filed.
“While shocking, this is actually a very difficult case,” department spokesman Jason Mower said in the release. “Wyoming is only one of a handful of states without a bestiality statute on the books.”
Mower also explained that for an animal cruelty charge to hold up in court, it would have to be proven that the man actually injured the horses.
Detectives believe other horses in the area may have been targeted. Authorities are also investigating a possible assault case stemming from the property owners confronting the suspect.
Anyone with information related to this case should call 307-922-5345.
