The Amsterdam court has sentenced a 38-year-old man to fifteen months in prison, six of which are suspended, for sexually abusing a Shetland pony. The man does not have to return to jail and is now free.
Ricardo van Z. is also guilty of possessing images of child abuse and creating images of sexual abuse of animals, the court in Amsterdam ruled. The 38-year-old man from De Kwakel was acquitted of mistreating the pony and his dog. As a result, Van Z. does not have to return to jail. The court ended his pre-trial detention on July 24.
The Public Prosecution Service (OM) demanded fifteen months in prison, eight of which were suspended. The OM also wanted a ban on keeping animals for two years and that the man undergo treatment. The sentence is lower because, according to the court, not all facts could be proven.
Van Z. abused the animal in September and October last year and in April of this year. The man visited the black mare several times at night in a meadow on the Amsteldijk Zuid in Amstelveen. The pony, named Ona, was several months pregnant during the abuse. Van Z. also filmed the abuse.
The pony’s owner saw on security camera images that the man climbed over the fence and took the animal to a shelter. She suspects that he tied the animal there. Then she 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 an earlier hearing, Van Z. already said he was sorry. According to him, he did it “out of unhappiness and loneliness” and “due to tensions, stress and setbacks”. He stated that he would meet a woman via the internet and that he wanted to test whether he could still be sexually active.
Suspect struggles with personality disorder and zoophilia
An expert has already determined that the man has diminished responsibility and needs treatment. For example, Van Z. struggles with a personality disorder and has problems with the use of cannabis. The expert also determined that Van Z. is sexually attracted to animals, also known as zoophilia.
The man was arrested on October 31. At his home, eight recordings of sex with the pony and more than six hundred images of child abuse were found. According to the suspect, they 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 he did that.