Turning spotlight on vile behavior

COLUMBUS

There’s some pretty vile stuff on the Internet – that should go without saying.

Take, for instance, the online forum some state lawmakers discussed during a committee hearing a few days back.

The site’s devoted to people who want to have intimate relations with animals. There were pages of messages left by such deviants seeking pet and livestock owners willing to provide access, with much talk of the types of activities desired.

Yes, it’s as awful as it sounds, which is why a couple of state lawmakers have stepped up with some proposed law changes to address the behavior.

“For those who might think that this issue is not occurring in Ohio and that this is a solution in search of a problem, we have enclosed with our testimony a copy of Internet ads from Ohioans who are out there seeking and offering ‘services’ with their canines, spouses and horses,” Sen. Jim Hughes, R-Columbus, told members of the Senate’s Criminal Justices Committee.

‘Deviant behavior’

Sen. Jay Hottinger, R-Newark, added, “I think this goes without saying, that we are here to address a very deviant behavior... a very disturbing, a very disgusting issue that highlights a very dark part of the underbelly of our society.”

The proposed legislation, SB 195, is pretty straightforward. It would bar a person from “knowingly” engaging in “specified sex-related activities” with animals or providing those animals for others to commit such acts.

I won’t go into detail, but the three-page analysis includes specific anatomical descriptions of the type of behavior that would be prohibited. Those caught breaking the proposed law would face second-degree misdemeanor charges and confiscation of the animals involved.

“Bestiality is by nature sexual coercion, because animals are incapable of giving consent,” Hughes said during sponsor testimony on the bill. “The potential harm caused by humans engaging in bestiality practices encompasses both physical and psychological ills. The physical harm caused to animals is so significant in some cases that the animal was left untreatable and euthanasia was the only available option.”

This isn’t the first bestiality bill at the Statehouse. Hughes has offered the legislation in the past, following an incident in Richland County that involved multiple dogs, photos, videos and journals.

Not illegal

Surprisingly, this type of behavior apparently isn’t illegal. A review by the Ohio Legislative Service Commission found that certain sex acts with animals are not covered by state’s animal cruelty laws.

“Therefore, to prohibit this deviant and perverse behavior, this legislation is needed,” Hughes said.

Backers are hoping the legislature will move swiftly on SB 195.

As Hottinger put it, “It is our hope that we can move expeditiously on this subject matter. It’s a very dark issue that none of us like to explore and discuss. We would hope that the committee would see the need for this legislation and that we would quickly move to join the 39 others states across the country that prohibit this very dark and deviant problem in our society.”

Marc Kovac is The Vindicator’s Statehouse correspondent. Email him at mkovac@dixcom.com or on Twitter at OhioCapitalBlog.