CHARLESTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) — West Virginia lawmakers have advanced a bill that would expand the state’s animal cruelty statute by creating a new felony offense for sexual acts with animals and strengthening court authority over animal ownership bans and case outcomes.
House Bill 4725, now in engrossed form, amends the state’s cruelty to animals law to specifically make committing a sexual act with an animal a felony offense, with potential prison time and fines upon conviction.
Under the bill, a person who commits a sexual act with an animal could face one to five years in prison and a fine between $1,000 and $5,000. The legislation defines the offense as direct sexual contact between a person and an animal involving genital contact with the mouth, anus, or genitals. Penetration would not be required to prove the crime.
Current law already makes it a felony to intentionally torture, mutilate, or maliciously kill an animal. The bill adds the sexual act provision alongside those felony-level offenses.
The measure also updates how courts may handle animals seized in cruelty cases. If charges are dismissed, judges would be explicitly authorized to return the animal with protective conditions, transfer custody, or order euthanasia if supported by sworn testimony from a veterinarian or animal control officer and deemed in the animal’s or public’s best interest.
In addition, the bill clarifies and expands restrictions on future animal ownership for those convicted. Courts could ban offenders from possessing, owning, or living with animals for:
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Five years to life after a misdemeanor conviction
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Fifteen years to life after a felony conviction
Violating a court-ordered animal possession ban would itself be a misdemeanor and could result in additional fines and forfeiture of animals.
The legislation also keeps existing cruelty provisions in place, including misdemeanor penalties for neglect, abandonment, and mistreatment, along with mandatory psychological evaluations and the option for courts to order anger management programs for offenders.
