Bill Would Make Bestiality a Crime in Indiana: Comes After Man Convicted of Raping Chicken and then Killing It

No, unfortunately I didn’t make this story up. Let’s hope they decide to make this a felony. We’ll hope it proceeds.

Article:

Bill would make bestiality a crime

http://nwitimes.com/articles/2007/01/24/news/porter_county/
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ANIMAL CRUELTY -- Parole of local animal abuser spurs legislation

From Wednesday, January 24, 2007 12:41 AM CST

BY PATRICK GUINANE
pguinane@nwitimes.com
317.637.9078

INDIANAPOLIS | The recent parole of a man convicted of sexually assaulting and killing a chicken in a Valparaiso motel room has sparked a move to make bestiality a distinct crime in Indiana.

Michael Bessigano, 36, received a 10 1/2 year prison sentence after admitting to stealing a farm chicken in October 2001 and taking it to U.S. 30 motel where he killed the animal while having sex with it. He was found competent to stand trial, and previous arrests involving alleged abuse or theft of dogs, geese and a rooster helped Porter County prosecutors secure a maximum sentence for animal cruelty.

With Bessigano's release approaching, a detective with the Lake County Sheriff's Department asked state Rep. Linda Lawson, D-Hammond, to introduce legislation that sets specific penalties for sexual acts with animals.

House Bill 1387 would make bestiality a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to a year behind bars and a fine of up to $5,000. The crime would become a Class D felony punishable by up to three years in prison if the animal "suffers extreme pain or death."

The state granted Bessigano his mandatory release Jan. 8, but he was transferred to Cass County Jail to serve 315 days remaining on a previous probation violation, said Yvette Salinas, Gary Parole District supervisor for the Indiana Department of Correction.

Bessigano plans to move to an assisted living center in Gary once released, authorities said. Until his parole is complete in November 2008, he will only be allowed to leave the facility for treatment sessions.

Lawson's legislation also would create standard definitions for animal neglect and torture, which she said would assist law enforcement in prosecuting cases of animal cruelty. The effort stems from the high-profile case involving a Gary firefighter charged with conducting dogfights in Calumet Township.

The legislation also would make it crime to harm or kill a family pet in furtherance of domestic violence.

"Often the abuser will hold a cat or a dog -- a companion animal -- hostage or strangle it or kill it," Lawson said. "It happens very, very often in domestic violence situations."