British Zoologist and crocodile expert Adam Britton has been jailed for 10 years and five months by an Australian court over charges of sexually abusing dozens of dogs and killing most of them in a horrible spree of sadistic pleasure.
The renowned animal specialist with a PhD in zoology, who has been known for his collaborations with coveted platforms such as BBC, National Geographic productions and hosting Sir David Attenborough, has reportedly pleaded guilty to 56 charges concerning bestiality and animal cruelty.
According to a report by BBC, the 53-year-old Zoologist found pleasure in filming the countless bouts of torturing the animals until almost all died followed by sharing the videos online under pseudonyms.
Zoologist Adam Britton jailed: What did he do?
As per reports, Britton was closely involved in harbouring a "sadistic sexual interest" in them. Several testimonies produced in the court revealed the unacceptable extent of his misdeeds including molesting horses at the age of 13 and torturing at least 42 dogs and killing 39 of them.
Through Australia's online marketplace, Britton got in touch with people who were often reluctantly giving their pets away due to travel or work commitments and took custody of many of them. Going forward, he used to abusing the animals in a shipping container on his property before sharing the footages online.
Britton arrested in 2022
Britton reportedly was arrested in April 2022 after a search of his rural Darwin property. Considering the time he already served, Britton could be eligible for parole in September 2028.
Police arrested him after uploading a clip in which he tortured at least eight dogs which was later passed on to police by an anonymous source. In this clip, he somehow failed to shield his identity and the signature bright orange City of Darwin dog leash was absent in the video background.
Besides taking him into custody, police also seized recording devices, animal remains and a laptop on which they also located 15 files containing child abuse material.
What did Britton say in his defence?
According to Britton's lawyer, the famous Zoologist was battling a rare disorder leading to intense, atypical sexual interests. In court on Thursday, Britton reportedly apologised for his "demeaning crimes" through a letter.
“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.
Furthermore, mentioning that his family was not involved in any possible way, he wrote: "I will seek long term treatment and... I will find a path towards redemption."
"I was sadistic as a child to animals, but I had repressed it. In the last few years I let it out again, and now I can't stop", he wrote in one message tendered to the court.
In several online chats retrieved as testimonies, it has been revealed that Britton had exploited his own pets and manipulated other dog owners into giving him theirs.
"My own dogs are family and I have limits," he explained in a Telegram chat.
"I only badly mistreat other dogs... I have no emotional bond to them, they are toys pure and simple. And [there are] plenty more where they came from", he further added.
