Jonathan Ford, 32, of Pope County had been arrested on suspicion of bestiality and on suspicion of conspiracy to commit commercial burglary. He had been charged with bestiality but not formally charged with the commercial burglary or child pornography cases, according to the Pope County Prosecutor’s Office. He will be arraigned on the other charges on August 3, when he will enter his pleas on those charges, according to Channel 5 News.

Ford appeared before District Court Judge Don Bourne for his bond hearing. According to deputies, the bond hearing was for a pending child pornography possession charge. Bond was set at $100,000.

On his website, Ford indicated that he would take animals in need in rural Arkansas and find them new homes. Some other rescue groups felt uneasy dealing with Ford’s organization. After an animal advocate found photographs “depicting Jonathan Ford engaging in sexual activity with the dogs in his care” and sent them to the authorities, Ford was charged and arrested, according to the Examiner.

His other charge regarding the suspicion of conspiracy to commit commercial burglary stemmed from the Pope County Sheriff’s Office receipt of information that Ford had been planning to break into the Russellville Animal Shelter. During the bond hearing for the child pornography case, an investigator indicated that a search warrant had been obtained for Ford’s computer. According to the Pope County Sheriff’s Office, several hundred images of child pornography were found on the confiscated computer. The computer was still being analyzed, as more child porn might be found.

Judge Bourne ordered Ford to stay away from churches, schools, and daycare centers–as well as any other places where children are present if he posts bond to get out of jail. The animals in Ford’s possession have been taken in by other area rescues.

Do you think that Ford should be released from jail? What charges do you believe he should face along with what penalty? Should he ever be permitted to have contact with children or animals? Please leave your answers below.

Of course, bestiality is a form of animal abuse and people engaging in such a horrific act need to be punished. An 18-year-old woman named Ashley Miller was charged with two counts of sexual activities involving animals after Bradenton, Florida, investigators found she was engaging in sexual activity with a dog. After Miller’s arrest, she posted $1,000 bond, according to an article in the Inquisitr.

[Photo Courtesy Pope County Sheriff’s Office]