Mississippi Coast man sentenced to prison for having sex with pregnant pit bull
An animal protection group is praising the prosecution of a Mississippi man sentenced to prison for holding down a pregnant pit bull dog named Baby Girl and having unnatural sex with her in a case of animal cruelty.
Jackson County Assistant District Attorney Bill Barrett prosecuted the case against Timothy Sanders, 32, of Escatawpa. In February, Sanders pleaded guilty to felony charges of animal cruelty and having unnatural sex with a dog.
One of the Sanders’ relatives reported the crime after they caught Sanders holding the pregnant dog down and sexually assaulting her in October 2024.
Circuit Judge Calvin Taylor subsequently sentenced Sanders to 10 years in prison for having unnatural sex with the dog to run concurrently to a three-year sentence for animal cruelty, with all but one year and one month to serve day-for-day for the crimes, plus five years of reporting post-release supervision.
In addition, the judge ordered Sanders to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
Before the sentencing, the animal protection group In Defense of Animals said Barrett and District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath heard from 13,356 animal rights activists demanding justice in the case.
“Barrett did more than argue a case on paper,” the group said. “He visited the mother dog when she gave birth, showed her kindness, and even considered adopting her or one of her puppies.”
The group praised the prosecutorial efforts to ensure justice for the Baby Girl, saying both Barrett and McIlrath “are vital allies in the fight to end animal cruelty.”
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Department investigated the case.
This story was originally published December 3, 2025 at 12:46 PM.
