Penn State professor charged with 'animal cruelty,' engaging in 'sexual intercourse' with dog in public forest

A now-former Pennsylvania State University professor accused of performing sexual acts with his dog in a public forest was arrested on Tuesday and subsequently hit with a slew of charges including open lewdness, indecent exposure, sexual intercourse with an animal, animal cruelty, and disorderly conduct.

Themis Matsoukas, 64, was spotted on trail cams in Rothrock State Forest naked with his collie as early as 2014, with the latest incident taking place this year. The acts were caught by surveillance cameras.



According to FOX43, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources rangers launched an investigation in April after a trail cam set up by the park captured footage of a man engaging in lewd behavior with a collie near a restroom in the Alan Seeger Parking Area and trying to film it on an iPad. Rangers explained that the area was within viewing distance of a road used by visitors to access a picnic area and campgrounds. 

While rangers were unable to put a name to the man in April, Matsoukas returned to the same area in May and was identified via his Subaru, which matched a vehicle spotted in previous videos.

Investigators recovered trail cam footage from as early as 2014 showing Matsoukas walking around camp naked from the waist down with his collie in tow, carrying an iPad and wearing a black ski mask.

As WTAJ reports, in one of the videos Matsoukas was allegedly spotted leaving the restroom naked with the dog before masturbating and letting it lick his anus while he filmed on his iPad at various angles.

After Matsoukas was idenfitied as the suspect, police obtained a search warrant for his vehicle and home, and paid him a visit. He was described as "very nervous," telling officers, "I'm done, I'm dead," and begging them to just shoot him. "I do it to blow off steam," Matsoukas said, according to police.

Following his arrest, Penn State announced that the chemical engineering professor of 30 years had been "relieved of his responsibilities and is on leave." His hearing has been scheduled for July 19.