Zoologist Who Appeared on NatGeo, BBC, Sexually Abused Dogs and Recorded Abuse in 'Torture Room'

Adam Britton was arrested in 2022 in Australia after he posted a disturbing video of himself abusing animals, which led police to him

Content warning: This story contains graphic details of animal abuse.

A British zoologist and crocodile expert living in Australia has been sentenced to more than a decade behind bars after pleading guilty to 56 charges of bestiality and animal cruelty.

Adam Britton, 53, was sentenced on Thursday, Aug. 8, in an Australia court, which heard the extensive nature of his abuse, which included torturing animals to death, prompting the judge to warn people in the courtroom that they could experience a "nervous shock" upon hearing the details. the BBC reported.

Britton, whose work spans decades and has appeared on platforms such as the BBC and the National Geographic, also admitted to four counts of accessing material depicting child abuse, per the outlet.

Britton's abuse took place over several decades as he moved around the world working with animals while having "sadistic sexual interest" in them, the BBC reported, citing unspecified court documents.

Evidence also shows Britton shared videos of his torture with others online, whom he told he'd been molesting horses since he was 13, the outlet reported, citing court documents.

"I was sadistic as a child to animals, but I had repressed it. In the last few years I let it out again, and now I can't stop. I don't want to. :)," he said in a message that was presented in trial, per the outlet.

He tortured 39 dogs to death, according to the court documents. He would connect online with people who had to give away their pets, take custody of the pets and abuse them in a "torture room" he built, which was equipped with recording devices. He would subsequently share those videos online, per the BBC.

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Britton was arrested in April 2022 after posting a video of himself torturing seven puppies and an adult dog, which was reported to authorities, the BBC reported. Once authorities tracked him down to his home in the outskirts of the Australian city of Darwin, they found the "torture room" and child abuse videos in his possession.

At the sentencing on Thursday, Britton said he "deeply regret[s]" the "pain and trauma" caused to innocent animals and his friends and family.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

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