A man confessed in court on Wednesday to sexually abusing a Shetland pony eight times. Ricardo van Z., 38, abused the animal in a meadow in Amstelveen in September and October last year and in April of this year.
Van Z. visited the black mare several times at night in a meadow on the Amsteldijk Zuid. The animal, named Ona, was several months pregnant during the abuse. The suspect allegedly filmed the abuse.
The pony’s owner saw on security camera footage that the man climbed over the fence and took the animal to a shelter. She suspects he tied the animal up there. She then saw the man take off his pants, smear something on his genitals, and stay in the stable for about fifteen minutes. The images do not show exactly what happened there.
During the hearing, Van Z. stated that he was sorry. “It’s a big mistake. It was out of unhappiness and loneliness. Due to tensions, stress and setbacks,” he said. He said as a reason that he would meet a woman via the internet and wanted to test whether he could still be sexually active. “I know it’s not acceptable. It’s just wrong.”
Van Z. was arrested on October 31. Eight recordings of sex with the pony and more than six hundred child pornographic images were found at his home. According to the suspect, those ended up on his computer when he was looking for naked women. “I didn’t search for child pornography. I’m not a pedo.” Van Z. is also suspected of abusing his dog. He denies that.
According to NH Nieuws, Van Z. was given an area ban in October last year. Yet he allegedly abused the pony again in April.
The above photo is for illustration purposes. So it is not the Shetland pony from this article.