A former animal shelter worker has avoided jail after pleading guilty to encouraging his female colleague to have sex with his pet dog.
Booker Thomas, 43, of Shreveport, Louisiana, admitted to a judge that he coaxed 24-year-old Celina Cabrera into performing sex acts with his pit bull.
The pair first met while working at the Caddo Parish Animal Shelter in Shreveport, Louisiana, in the US, in 2016.
Cabrera told the investigators that she took part in the sexual relations with Thomas's pit bull in December, 2016, but it was not reported until February, 2017.
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The incident unfolded when Cabrera reported to the police that Thomas had persuaded her to have sex with his dog. She claimed that the acts were recorded on Thomas's mobile phone.
Investigators failed to retrieve any related videos, but they found footage of another woman having sex with the same dog.
They also found text messages between Thomas and Cabrera discussing the incidents.
Cabrera pleaded guilty to a crime against nature charge in June 2017 and was given an 18-month suspended sentence and 18 months of active supervised probation.
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Thomas, who initially denied the charges, faced up to five years in jail and a $2,000 (£1,515) fine.
But after accepting a plea deal from the prosecutors, he was given a three-year suspended jail sentence and put on three years supervised probation.
He must surrender custody of all his animals, including another dog.
He will be banned from keeping or looking after any animal and working with them for five years.
Thomas will have to undergo a psychological evaluation for sex offenders and take part in any treatment if necessary.
