Yes, bestiality is illegal in Georgia. Under O.C.G.A. 16-6-6, any sexual act between a person and an animal is a felony punishable by one to five years in prison.1Justia. Georgia Code 16-6-6 – Bestiality The law sits in its own section of the state’s sexual offenses chapter, so prosecutors do not have to stretch an animal cruelty or sodomy statute to fit the facts.
What the Statute Covers
O.C.G.A. 16-6-6 defines the offense as performing or submitting to any sexual act with an animal involving the sex organs of one and the mouth, anus, penis, or vagina of the other.1Justia. Georgia Code 16-6-6 – Bestiality The language reaches both penetration and oral contact, and it applies regardless of which party initiated the contact. Animals are not recognized as capable of consent under the law, and the statute contains no exception based on a claim that the animal was unharmed.
Penalties for a Conviction
A conviction carries one to five years in prison.1Justia. Georgia Code 16-6-6 – Bestiality Because the offense is a felony, the consequences extend well past the sentence itself. A felony conviction creates a permanent record that appears on background checks and causes serious problems for employment, professional licensing, and housing.
Felons in Georgia also lose civil rights, including the right to vote while serving a sentence and the right to possess firearms. Restoring those rights requires completing the full sentence, including probation, and in some cases petitioning for a pardon. For anyone in a licensed profession such as healthcare, education, or law enforcement, a conviction of this nature is almost certainly career-ending.
Sex Offender Registration
Whether a bestiality conviction triggers mandatory sex offender registration in Georgia is not straightforward. Georgia’s registry statute, O.C.G.A. 42-1-12, lists specific offenses that require registration, and that list is built primarily around crimes with human victims. Bestiality is not plainly enumerated in the way an offense like child molestation is.
Courts in other states have sometimes used broadly worded “sexually motivated crime” language to require registration for animal-related sexual offenses, and the law in this area is inconsistent nationwide. In Georgia, the practical outcome may turn on the facts of the case and the judge’s reading of the registry statute. Anyone facing a charge under 16-6-6 should assume registration is a real possibility and raise it with a criminal defense attorney.
When Federal Law Also Applies
The federal Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act, signed in 2019, criminalizes “animal crushing,” a term that includes sexual acts committed against animals, with penalties of up to seven years in prison.2National Agricultural Law Center. Animal Cruelty Laws and Ag: Where Does the PACT Act Fit The PACT Act only reaches conduct involving interstate or foreign commerce or occurring on federal property. Conduct that takes place entirely within Georgia with no interstate element is prosecuted under state law alone. The federal statute matters most in cases involving the production or distribution of animal abuse material across state lines, or acts committed on federal land.
Reporting Suspected Animal Sexual Abuse
If you suspect an animal is being sexually abused, the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s Law Enforcement Division handles animal cruelty complaints. Complaints must be submitted by email and you must identify yourself; the department does not accept anonymous reports.3Georgia Department of Agriculture. Animal Complaints Local law enforcement and county animal control offices can also take reports, and in urgent situations calling 911 is appropriate.
Georgia does not require veterinarians to report suspected animal abuse, but a veterinarian who reports in good faith is immune from civil and criminal liability under O.C.G.A. 4-11-17(b). Veterinarians are not expected to investigate or prove abuse; the role is to flag medical findings that suggest something is wrong and let law enforcement take it from there.