A couple in Queensland, Australia are facing criminal charges after allegedly engaging in multiple sex acts with dogs over the course of a year.
Crystal May Hoare, 37, and Jay Wade Veenstra, 28, are facing five counts each of bestiality after the couple allegedly performed sex acts with two dogs on numerous occasions beginning on October 18, 2021, the New York Post reported. The charges were brought against the couple at the Sarina Magistrates Court on Monday.
Queensland couple Crystal May Hoare and Jay Wade Veenstra are accused of having sex with dogs https://t.co/ua83WgCNEg
— Daily Mail Australia (@DailyMailAU) August 14, 2023
Police allege that after Hoare and Veenstra sexually abused two dogs in 2021, the couple continued the abuse into the following year on March 19, May 17, June 6, and Oct. 25. The illegal acts were reportedly caught on camera, leading to the couple’s arrest in July 2023, the outlet stated. (RELATED: ‘Sexy Vegan’ Arrested After Police Find Video Of Him ‘Performing An Act Of Bestiality’, Authorities Say)
Though Hoare and Veenstra were briefly taken into custody, they were both granted bail while being held at a watch house facility, according to the New York Post. Following the initial court proceedings at Sarina on Monday, the couple remain on bail while their case is elevated to a higher court, the Daily Star reported.
If convicted, the couple could face up to seven years in prison, according to the legal statutes of Queensland in regards to bestiality.
“In some [Australian] states, such as Victoria, bestiality is also considered a form of animal cruelty and can result in additional charges. In Western Australia, bestiality is classified as a “degrading and unnatural act” and is punishable by up to five years imprisonment,” according to Australia’s Lyon Law Group.
“It is worth noting that even if an individual does not engage in sexual activity with an animal, they may still be charged with offenses related to animal cruelty if they are found to attempt to commit bestiality or mistreat or neglect an animal in their care,” the law group added.