An American teenager has been accused of sexually assaulting pregnant horses at a stable owned by a Thai couple in Phuket, causing one of the animals to miscarry.
Chatroj Lek-arwut and his wife Prapada filed a police complaint against the 19-year-old tourist, alleging he indulged in bestiality on different occasions.
Prapada said the man regularly frequented the barn in Thalang district, where he touched and interacted with the horses. She noticed mucus had formed around the mares’ genitals when she took them for grazing.
The couple said CCTV footage showed the teenager inserting his hand and arm into the vulvas of the horses on multiple instances during his visits.
The indecent act reportedly led to a miscarriage in a nine-month pregnant horse, while a second one which was not expecting suffered irritation.
The third mare was given antibiotics after it contracted an infection, potentially putting the life of her unborn foal at risk.
Police on Monday met the suspect’s father at their home, who was “shocked” when shown the video from the security camera. He added he did not expect his son to do something like this.
The teenager was instructed to appear before police for questioning on Saturday, the Bangkok Post reported.
If found guilty of cruelty to animals, he could face prison terms of up to two years and/or fines of up to 40,000 baht (US$1,122).
A spokesman for the Department of Mental Health said the American’s behaviour was a form of zoophilia (being sexually attracted to an animal) and he needed psychiatric treatment.
Thai airport worker suspended after smuggled animals run loose on Taiwan flight
Thai airport worker suspended after smuggled animals run loose on Taiwan flight
The incident also triggered uproar on Thai social media, with some calling the suspect a “dangerous psychopath” and demanding he be kicked out of the country.
“I feel sorry for the horse, she must be in pain,” said a Facebook user.
In 2018, animal charity Watchdog Thailand uncovered a bestiality club in Chiang Mai, where a group allegedly used the Line chat application to invite members to watch videos of others sexually abusing dogs.
Once a month, members had the option to pay extra to meet and mistreat stray dogs that were collected and groomed under the guise of “saving” them.
