Man arrested for alleged cruelty to horse

PHOENIX – A man was arrested after his mother reported suspected cases of zoophilia involving a horse near Anthem, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office said Friday.

The mother reported the incidents to officials on Monday. She said she had assigned her 21-year-old son, Kenneth Sellner, to keep the horse stables on her property near 16th Street and Cloud Road clean while she was on vacation.

The woman cut her trip short to return home and confront her son about the actions, which included touching the horse’s genitals and rubbing against its naked body, authorities said. The son claimed he was grooming the horse, but the woman did not see any cleaning supplies nearby during the incidents. She then asked him to leave the property and called authorities.

After reviewing surveillance footage, officers confirmed two separate incidents.

Authorities later found Sellner in a friend’s apartment, about 15 miles from his mother’s property, and took him into custody.

After being read his Miranda rights, Sellner admitted to touching the horse’s genitals, according to MCSO. While cleaning the adjacent stables, he noticed that they were “scaly.” And “one thing led to another.”

Follow @KTAR923