Man who sexually abused animals gets out of prison and AVOIDS the chemical castration he requested

A Hobart, Indiana, man with a lengthy history of sexually abusing animals will be freed from federal prison without undergoing chemical castration.

The Chicago Tribune reported Monday that Judge Philip Simon sentenced Michael Bessigano, 46, to time served and ordered him to undergo a year of supervised release. However, Judge Simon’s order didn’t include a chemical castration, something Bessigano requested as a condition of his release.

As CrimeOnline previously reported, Bessigano was jailed in January for consciously receiving “obscene matters from an interactive computer service.” The offense put him in violation of probation: In 2009, Bessigano pleaded guilty in federal court to receiving pornography involving animals and was released under supervision in 2010.

The Indiana man was arrested for allegedly sexually abusing a chicken in 2001 and a guinea fowl in 2014—killing both in the process. However, court papers indicated that Bessigano’s animal abuse history goes back to the 1990s.

In August, however, the repeat offender offered to begin using the drug Depo-Lupron, which would decrease his testosterone levels, to get out of prison early.

ORIGINAL Story: Man with history of sex with animals requests chemical castration for early prison release

Despite his long rap sheet, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine associate professor Fred Berlin said in July that Bessigano, with treatment, could exist in society without posing a risk.

“To the extent that Mr. Bessigano has accidentally injured or killed animals during the course of his sexual exploits, that harm is no greater than that imposed by meat-eaters and leather-wearers nationwide,” his attorney, Jennifer Soble, said in August.

Judge Simon also ordered the 46-year-old participate in sex offender treatment and monitoring programs in addition to mental health programs. The Tribune reported that federal probation officers will oversee his computer and phone usage.

[Featured Image: Lake County Sheriff’s Department]