A young married couple on the NSW south coast have been charged with bestiality crimes involving a horse and a border collie dog, including filming the interactions.
Police allege Joel Kerim, 29, and Mikayla Kerim, 26, committed the offenses at their rural property against a 17-year-old mare called Gemma and a 14-month-old border collie called Ekko.
Officers were tipped off when Mrs Kerim handed police a video of her husband allegedly attacking the mare near their hayloft while standing on a chair, reports The Saturday Telegraph.
Police claim the couple’s relationship ‘soured’ in early 2023 when Kerim requested his wife have sex with the border collie, prompting her to contact them.
Three videos were allegedly sent by Mr Kerim to his wife of himself having sex with the mare.
Joel and Mikayla Kerim (pictured) have been charged with besitiality offenses against a horse and dog at the rural estate on the NSW south coast
Police were reportedly tipped off by Ms Kerim, who contacted police after the couple’s relationship ‘soured’
During the police investigation, statements were collected from Ms Kerim, other family members and a vet who examined the mare.
Detectives then executed a search warrant at the farm last Tuesday, seizing electronic storage devices and escorting Mr Kerim to the station for an interview.
Mr Kerim has been charged with five counts of bestiality and possession and distribution of bestiality material.
He was granted conditional bail to appear in court in February.
Late last week, police then also charged Ms Kerim, now claiming she had also taken part in some of the offenses with both the mare and border collie and had sent videos to her husband.
Ms Kerim was charged with one count of bestiality, two counts of producing bestiality material and two counts of distributing bestiality material.
She was also granted conditional bail from the front court in February.
Until 2021, possessing or sharing bestiality videos was not a crime in NSW.
The change in law was the result of a sustained campaign by NSW Animal Justice Party MLC Emma Hurst.
Until 2021, possessing or sharing bestiality videos was not a crime in NSW. The law change was the result of a sustained campaign by NSW Animal Justice Party MLC Emma Hurst (pictured)
A similar move is underway in Victoria, where it has yet to be criminalized.
Ms Hurst is also responsible for a number of other improvements to animal protection laws, including increasing criminal penalties for animal cruelty and taking in pets under domestic violence orders.
She and her team have also successfully campaigned to change the Working with Children Check so that those convicted of animal cruelty cannot be acquitted.