21-Year-Old Convicted For Sexually Harassing Horse, Vehicle Theft

A 21-year-old man was sentenced to 20 months in jail for sexually assaulting a mare, stealing a vehicle and illegally breaking into a storage unit in Oregon. The judgment was announced Friday.

Kenneth L. Duyck, a homeless man, entered a barn during the night, tied the horse named Ellie with a rope and sexually assaulted her before leaving the premises, the Oregonian reported, referring to a local court report. The incident took place April 18 near the city of Hillsboro.

The owner of the house told the Washington County Circuit deputies she found Ellie tied up in an unusual manner and spotted semen on her genitals when she went to check her animals the next morning. The woman’s daughter, who is a veterinarian, later inspected the matter and established the horse was sexually abused. She took samples for a DNA test which later confirmed Duyck’s involvement in the crime.

The unnamed owner of the house told county deputies someone with last name Duyck visited her property on the day of the incident and asked if he could sleep there. She denied him permission.

Police tracked Duyck down on April 24, based on the information given by the house owner and her neighbors. He was found sleeping in a stolen vehicle in a nearby area.

During investigation, Duyck first told the officers he had only entered the horse stables in search of work, but later pleaded guilty in a local court and admitted to the charges against him.

A judge banned Duyck from domesticating any animals for 15 years, and his driving license was revoked for one year. He would be registered as a sex offender and participate in sex offender and mental health treatment programs, the Oregonian reported.

Duyck had previously been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. He hadn’t been taking his medication for more than a month at the time the incident took place, and “made a bad decision,” according to a psychological evaluation report.

He was already on probation for previous crimes before he got arrested in April, CBS affiliate television station KOIN reported.