A Citra man has been arrested and accused of having sex multiple times with a miniature horse, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
Nicholas Anthony Sardo, 21, faces four counts of bestiality/sexual contact with an animal. The charge is a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine per count. He was being held at the Marion County Jail on Monday in lieu of $4,000 bail.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, a witness saw Sardo having sex with the male pony, which is named Jackie G., in mid-October. Three days later, the witness told the Sheriff’s Office. There also was a second witness.
The Sheriff’s Office said Sardo made incriminating statements and told a detective that he used a condom with each sexual encounter to avoid contracting a disease.
The horse, which belongs to one of Sardo’s relatives, is being cared for by the family.