A renowned British zoologist, Adam Britton, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison in Australia after admitting to sexually abusing dozens of dogs.
Britton, a leading crocodile expert who has worked on BBC and National Geographic productions, pleaded guilty to 56 charges relating to bestiality and animal cruelty.
He also confessed to four counts of accessing child abuse material, further deepening the gravity of his crimes.
The Northern Territory Supreme Court heard disturbing details of Britton’s actions.
The 53-year-old filmed himself torturing the animals until almost all of them died, and then shared the videos online under fake names.
His acts went unnoticed for years until a clue was discovered in one of his videos.
In April 2022, Britton was arrested after a search of his rural Darwin property, which uncovered not only evidence of animal abuse but also child abuse material on his laptop.
The court was appalled by the graphic nature of Britton’s crimes, with the judge describing them as “grotesque” and at times warning people to leave the courtroom due to the distressing content.
“Your depravity falls outside any ordinary human conception,” Chief Justice Michael Grant told Britton, according to the Australian Associated Press. The severity and extent of Britton’s crimes left the court in disbelief and led to a lengthy prison sentence.
Taking into account the time already served, Britton could be eligible for parole in April 2028. However, he has been banned from owning any mammals for the rest of his life, as a measure to protect animals from further harm.
During the trial, Britton’s lawyer argued that his client’s offending was driven by a rare disorder causing intense, atypical sexual interests.
However, the judge dismissed this argument, emphasizing the severity and disturbing nature of Britton’s crimes.
