A house in Ohio, United States was reportedly burnt down after the resident was arrested for the sexual abuse of animals. Taylor Riley's abuse of her companion animals was evident in a video which was circulated online. The dogs were removed from her custody and three misdemeanour charges were filed against Riley. She is to appear in court towards the end of July.

A disturbing discovery was made in Youngstown, Ohio. A 40-year-old woman had been engaging in sexual acts with her two Shih Tzu dogs. The sickening crime of having sex with an animal was not illegal in Ohio until 2017. Bestiality has since been considered a misdemeanour in the state.

The Animal Charity of Ohio was alerted by the video and urged the police to execute a search warrant. Riley's home in Waverly Avenue was raided on February 19. They confiscated the two dogs as well as electronic information related to the case. Riley's personal computer and cell phone were confiscated as evidence. One of the dogs taken from Riley was found to be pregnant at the time of the abuse.

Mary Louk, board president of Animal Charity of Ohio, pointed out that abuse towards animals often evolved into more serious crimes. After an investigation by Mahoning County Sheriff's Office, Riley was booked for three misdemeanour charges. She was charged with prohibitions concerning companion animals, sexual conduct with an animal and cruelty to companion animals.

Since the incident, the dogs were taken to a shelter where they were medically assessed.

Human Trafficking Task Force shared that the incident was unique in the area. Criminal acts like the circulation of child pornography were more commonly seen by the task force. Riley is not suspected to have shared the video for monetary gain. She has been released on bond and is to appear in court on July 20 at 10 am for her hearing.

In an unfortunate turn of events, the woman's home was reportedly burnt down recently, local news site WKBN reported. Details of the incident have not been revealed. Police are investigating if the house fire was an accident or an act of arson. According to The Mirror, Riley was a witness to the incident.

Shih Tzu dog
A woman was arrested for having sex with her two Shih Tzus. (Representational image) Reuters