Spokane County man held on cruelty charges related to animal sex videos

A Spokane County man faces animal cruelty charges after seven videos were turned over to law enforcement that allegedly show him having sex with three dogs and a horse.

Travis A. Joy, 45, was arrested Wednesday. He also faces harassment charges for allegedly threatening to kill the people he believed reported him to law enforcement, Spokane County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Deputy Mark Gregory said.

Joy’s bond was set at $50,000 during a brief court appearance Thursday. He also is banned from owning animals or being around animals.

According to a search warrant filed July 15, Joy left a video camera with the recordings on it behind when he moved out of a house in Elk. His roommate found the footage July 10 and turned it over to Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Services.

Investigators used the scenery shown in the videos to track down owners of the animals and develop probable cause to charge Joy.

Tattoos visible in the video match the tattoos Joy has on his arms, according to court documents. Detectives were able to determine that the incidents occurred in the Hillyard and Elk areas.

Gregory said one of the dogs in the videos belonged to Joy. That dog and another one owned by Joy have been turned over to SCRAPS.

Another dog Joy is accused of molesting has since died. According to court documents, the dog’s owners reported that they once left Joy alone with the dog for several hours, and when they arrived home the dog was cowering in a corner, shaking.

People who know Joy told police he has been living in his car or with friends for several years and is addicted to methamphetamine, according to court documents. The animals Joy reportedly molested belonged to people who allowed him to live at their homes.

On Wednesday, just before 8 a.m., one of the dog owners reported that Joy was at that person’s property in north Spokane County; deputies arrested him there.

Joy reportedly admitted he recorded himself having sex with the animals so he could view that and not need to repeat the acts, according to court documents.

Joy has a prior felony conviction for assault. He was sentenced to three years in federal prison in 1997 after pleading guilty to two Spokane bank robberies.