Prominent crocodile expert and zoologist Adam Robert Corden Britton has pleaded guilty to a trove of animal cruelty charges, which include admitting to the rape, torture and death of dozens of dogs.
The 51-year-old academic reportedly began his crimes in 2014, and tortured and raped over 42 dogs until he was later arrested in April 2022.
Britton, who works at Charles Darwin University, pleaded guilty to 56 counts pertaining to animal cruelty in addition to a separate four counts of accessing and sending child abuse material.
Prior to reading out the facts of the charges, prosecutor Marty Aust urged the public as well as the media to exit the court.
"These facts contain material that can only be described as grotesque and perverse acts of cruelty which is confronting and distressing and which in my assessment have the potential to cause nervous shock," he said.
"Either way I'll leave that up to you, but the potential has been described."
The details of Britton's offenses were deemed too disturbing to be published. It ultimately led to the death of 39 canines. Britton had tortured his own dogs, and gotten more from other owners in the Darwin region.
"The offender has had a sadistic sexual interest in animals and in particular dogs," said Aust.
"(He) often built a rapport with the dog owners in negotiating taking custody of their animals, many of whom had to reluctantly give their pets away due to travel or work commitments," Mr Aust said.
In one scenario, the academic had told the owners of a large brown dog that she had been "settling in well."
"But unbeknownst to the previous owners the dog had already been 'sexually exploited, tortured and killed," Aust explained.
Britton was prominent in his space—he had previously hosted well-known broadcaster and biologist David Attenborough, according to the Daily Mail.
Sentencing for Britton is set to begin on Dec. 13. None of his offenses involved crocodiles or other reptiles.
The 51-year-old academic reportedly began his crimes in 2014, and tortured and raped over 42 dogs until he was later arrested in April 2022.
Britton, who works at Charles Darwin University, pleaded guilty to 56 counts pertaining to animal cruelty in addition to a separate four counts of accessing and sending child abuse material.
Prior to reading out the facts of the charges, prosecutor Marty Aust urged the public as well as the media to exit the court.
"These facts contain material that can only be described as grotesque and perverse acts of cruelty which is confronting and distressing and which in my assessment have the potential to cause nervous shock," he said.
"Either way I'll leave that up to you, but the potential has been described."
The details of Britton's offenses were deemed too disturbing to be published. It ultimately led to the death of 39 canines. Britton had tortured his own dogs, and gotten more from other owners in the Darwin region.
"The offender has had a sadistic sexual interest in animals and in particular dogs," said Aust.
"(He) often built a rapport with the dog owners in negotiating taking custody of their animals, many of whom had to reluctantly give their pets away due to travel or work commitments," Mr Aust said.
In one scenario, the academic had told the owners of a large brown dog that she had been "settling in well."
"But unbeknownst to the previous owners the dog had already been 'sexually exploited, tortured and killed," Aust explained.
Britton was prominent in his space—he had previously hosted well-known broadcaster and biologist David Attenborough, according to the Daily Mail.
Sentencing for Britton is set to begin on Dec. 13. None of his offenses involved crocodiles or other reptiles.
