Joshua Coman

In 2008, a Wichita woman heard someone break into her garage. When she went to check on the noise, she discovered 20-year-old Joshua Coman sexually assaulting her four-year-old Rottweiler. "My mom turns on the garage light and steps out the door and catches him, well, having intercourse with our dog," explained Justen Tracy. Coman was already on probation after pleading guilty to assaulting another dog in a neighboring county in 2007. Coman wasn't registered as a sex offender at that time because the victim of his crime was an animal, meaning he would only be charged with misdemeanor criminal sodomy.

According to authorities, Coman knew the Tracy family of Wichita, the owners of the Rottweiler he assaulted, and he had even lived in their home for a short time the previous year.  A search of Coman's cell phone revealed several photos of dogs and one video clip of a man engaging in sexual intercourse with a canine. He was sentenced to six months in jail and mandatory mental evaluations while in custody.

There is a high correlation between sexual abuse of animals and sexual abuse of children. A 2002 study found that 96% of the juveniles who had engaged in sex with nonhuman animals also admitted to sex offenses against humans and reported more offenses against humans than other sex offenders their same age and race.