This, despite the fact law enforcement there had collected piles of evidence to suggest he operated a bizarre bestiality farm out of Sumas, Wash, and has already convicted and deported one man because of it.
As Caleb Hutton of the Bellingham Herald detailed, "four stallions, seven large-breed male dogs and a cage full of 13 mice, each coated in a lubricant" were seized from Spink's home more than two years ago, part of an investigation and court case that proved Spink had been present while videotapes of dogs having sex with a British man were made at his Sumas cabin. But he went to jail on probation violations because of it, and back in 2010 Whatcom County Prosecutor Dave McEachran chose not to pursue animal cruelty charges.
Last month, however, things changed. Days before Spink was scheduled to be released from federal prison, the Whatcom County Prosecutor's Office issued a warrant for Spink's arrest, charging him with three counts of animal cruelty. The charges seek to ban Spink from owning animals for life.
Instead of celebrating his soon-to-be freedom, or preparing witty posts about his zoophile lifestyle for Twitter, Spink was transferred to Whatcom County Jail, though he has since posted $5,000 bond.
Based on what's already been proven in a court of law, it seems like a good idea.
According to the Bellingham Herald:
Until now, Spink had not been tried in Whatcom County on allegations of videotaping Stephen Clarke, a British man, having sex with several dogs at a Sumas cabin.
Spink has been in prison since 2010, after videos recovered from his home in the 5000 block of Reese Hill Road showed Clarke having sexual contact with a Great Dane, a mastiff and a German shepherd. At least three videos showed the dogs having anal sex with Clarke.
The tapes also caught Spink carrying on conversations with Clarke - while Clarke was having sex with the dogs - about the animals' sexual prowess, according to the new charges.
As Hutton notes, the British man seen on tape having sex with the dogs - Stephen Clarke - was found guilty of animal abuse and deported. But thanks to a previous cocaine-trafficking conviction, a federal judge decided Spink was guilty of a handful of probation violations related to his bestiality farm. At the time Whatcom County Prosecutor Dave McEachran wrote, "We do not have the resources to repetitively prosecute people for the same crimes that they have been held responsible for in different jurisdictions."
The Herald describes Spink as "shocked" when he found out there had been a new warrant issued for his arrest. The paper also indicates he "disputes and intends to challenge Washington's bestiality law," and he's quoted as saying, "I reject the bigotry behind the statute."
(Seattle Weekly - Dec. 12 2012)
