A 20-year-old Hudson man was arrested Sunday and booked into the Pasco County Jail after his own family members reported allegations that he had sexual contact with their dog. Chase Weaver faces one count of sexual contact with animals, a charge an arrest affidavit lists as a second-degree felony.
According to the arrest affidavit as reported by Pasco News, Weaver was arrested at a residence on Passaic Drive in Hudson on October 25. The outlet reported that the allegations centered on the family's 6-year-old pit bull-Labrador mix, named Amara.
Sister Says Weaver Admitted Contact With the Dog
Per the same account, Weaver's sister told deputies that her brother admitted to sexual contact with Amara. The affidavit also describes a timeline building toward the arrest, beginning three days earlier when Weaver's mother reported seeing him take the dog into his bedroom, where it remained overnight on October 22.
The following morning, Weaver's mother reportedly found the dog hiding beneath a bed, behaving unusually and showing signs of irritation. His father separately reported noticing an abnormal physical condition involving the dog, the affidavit states, according to the station's report.
Deputy Cites Inflammation, Probable Cause
The investigating deputy documented observing inflammation during the course of the investigation, the affidavit says. Based on those observations along with the family's witness statements, the deputy determined that probable cause existed to arrest Weaver, the article notes.
Pasco News reported that the Pasco County Sheriff's Office affidavit did not include information about any veterinary treatment the dog may have received or its current condition.
What Florida Law Says About the Charge
Florida law defines sexual contact with an animal broadly. Under Florida Statute 828.126, the term means “any act committed between a person and an animal for the purpose of sexual gratification, abuse, or financial gain.” The statute states that a person who knowingly violates the law “commits a felony of the second degree.”
That classification matches what the arrest affidavit reportedly lists for Weaver's charge. Some online references describe the offense as a felony of the third degree.
Florida's statute also provides that a conviction triggers a court order barring the person from harboring, owning, possessing, or exercising control over any animal for at least five years afterward. The law carves out exceptions for accepted animal husbandry practices and accepted veterinary medical practices, which fall outside its prohibitions.
