Crocodile expert jailed for raping, torturing and killing dogs
Article content
Warning: This story contains content readers might find disturbing
A renowned crocodile expert has been jailed for 10 years and five months in Australia after he admitted to sexually abusing and killing dozens of dogs.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Crocodile expert jailed for raping, torturing and killing dogs Back to video
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Adam Britton, a leading zoologist who worked as a senior researcher at Charles Darwin University as well as on BBC and National Geographic productions, was in the Northern Territory Supreme Court where he pleaded guilty to 56 charges relating to bestiality and animal cruelty.
The court heard the 53-year-old filmed himself torturing 42 animals, 39 of which died, in a shipping container on his property, then shared the videos online under different names, according to Sky News.
His abuse went unnoticed for years until a clue was found in one of his videos.
Britton was arrested in April 2022 after a search of his rural Darwin property, which also uncovered child abuse material on his laptop.
He also pleaded guilty to four counts of accessing and transmitting child abuse material.
The details of Britton’s crimes are so “grotesque” that Chief Justice Michael Grant warned the courtroom they could cause “nervous shock or some other adverse psychological reactions.”
As the facts of the case were read aloud, some people rushed outside, while those who remained cried and mouthed insults at Britton, the outlet reported.
The court previously heard Britton had a “sadistic sexual interest” in animals, and in particular dogs.
Britton tortured his own dogs as well as sourced animals from unsuspecting pet owners in the Darwin region.
“He often built a rapport with the dog owners in negotiating taking custody of their animals, many of whom had to reluctantly give their pets away due to travel or work commitments,” prosecutor Marty Aust told the court in September.
Calling the offending “devious,” Justice Grant said during sentencing that the “unalloyed pleasure” Britton took in torturing the animals was “sickeningly evident.”
He added: “Your conduct on each of those occasions involved a degree of depravity and reprehensibility which falls entirely outside any ordinary human conception and comprehension.”
RECOMMENDED VIDEO
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Britton’s lawyer argued his client was driven by a rare disorder causing intense, atypical sexual interests.
In a letter from Britton that was read aloud in court, he apologized for his “demeaning crimes.”
“I deeply regret the pain and trauma that I caused to innocent animals and consequently to my family, friends and members of the community,” it said, according to the outlet.
Britton could be eligible for parole in September 2028, which includes time served.
He is also banned from owning any mammals for the rest of his life.
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.