Norfolk, Mass, Police searching for a man accused of having sex with a horse

Norfolk Police and a concerned equestrian center owner are searching for a man accused of having sex with a horse early Thursday morning, which was caught on surveillance camera. “I look at this person as a sexual predator. It’s a threat to a very small community where a lot of people feel extremely violated and rightfully so,” said Hillary Swarr, owner of Turner Hill Equestrian Center in Norfolk.

Swarr told the Herald that a young man entered the Miller Street property on foot around 4:30 Thursday morning and was able to halter and cross tie the mare, showing that he was comfortable around horses and likely has experience in the equestrian industry. The man then assaulted the horse, according to Swarr, and she was notified via a surveillance alarm system, which captured the act, despite the man having unplugged one of the cameras. By the time Swarr arrived, the man was gone. She had a rape kit performed on the animal who was deemed to be healthy and had no injuries.

Swarr, sharing a statement on behalf of the horse’s owner, said, “While the owner questions why this individual chose her horse for this grotesque act, she is empowered to support her fellow barn members and both horses and people alike in the greater Massachusetts equestrian community … we will find this individual and bring him to justice.” Swarr said she has lost business due to the incident. “This is detrimental to my income, however I feel like I have a larger responsibility to my community because again, this is a sexual predator.”

The man was wearing bright yellow pants, construction boots and a blue shirt, according to Swarr. She described him as 5-foot-6, 130 pounds and between the ages of 20 and 25. Norfolk Police sent an alert out to surrounding communities to see if they had any information or similar incidents and received some leads, as reported by MetroWest Daily News.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call the Norfolk Police Department at 508-528-3206.

https://www.bostonherald.com/2021/07/17/norfolk-police-searching-for-a-man-accused-of-having-sex-with-a-horse/