Three Guernsey residents have been sentenced for a series of “shocking and revolting” sex crimes, including the sexual abuse of a dog that was filmed in an hour-long homemade video.
Peter Beau Leigh, 73, was jailed for two years and ten months for a number of sexual offences including possession of extreme pornography, animal cruelty offences and telecommunications crimes.
Ian Chatting-Tonks, 63, and Elaine Pasquier, 67, received 220 and 170 hours of community service respectively for their roles in the offences.
All three have been banned from owning or working with dogs for ten years.
The trio appeared before Guernsey’s Royal Court on Friday, having first been charged last August.
Leigh and Chatting-Tonks were initially sentenced in the Royal Court for sexual and telecommunications offences, before further sentencing in the Magistrates’ Court alongside Pasquier for offences involving the dog.
Leigh and Pasquier also admitted separate counts of indecent behaviour in public.
The court heard that the three defendants forced the dog, which belonged to Chatting-Tonks, to undertake various sexual acts and recorded the abuse on video.
Crown Advocate Chris Dunford said the offences before the Royal Court included the distribution of stories involving bestiality and a series of indecent images retained and shared without consent.
Among the material were photographs taken around 20 years ago showing a 16-year-old girl, referred to in court as Ms B, topless on a boat off Guernsey’s coast.
The images had been taken by Leigh and later sent to Chatting-Tonks, who forwarded them back to the victim along with a photograph of his genitals.
Ms B reported the matter to police, leading to the arrest of Leigh and Chatting-Tonks.
Subsequent searches of their devices uncovered further offences – including evidence of an illegal sexual relationship involving Leigh, and an hour-long homemade video involving the two men, Pasquier and the dog.
Judge Catherine Fooks warned those present in court that they might find the material “graphic, distressing or offensive”.
The court was told the three defendants were previously of good character.
Defence advocates sought leniency, arguing that their families would suffer from lengthy custodial sentences.
The court heard that Leigh and Pasquier act as carers for family members, while Chatting-Tonks has multiple sclerosis.
Advocate Peter Ferbrache, defending Leigh, referenced his client’s “differing morals” which he said “may be far from the norm”.
All three were given credit for entering guilty pleas at the earliest opportunity and for “fully co-operating with law enforcement and the courts”.
The court also heard that sentencing powers were limited by the age of some of the offences.
The indecent behaviour charges against Leigh and Pasquier date back 11 years, while the animal cruelty offences occurred in 2018 – prior to the introduction of more recent legislation.