'Beast' Man Jailed for Possessing 31,000 Animal Porn Images

A Tasmanian computer technician who considered himself a beast has been given a suspended jail sentence after being caught possessing bestiality images.

Rodney Scott McLagan, 48, of South Arm, today was sentenced after pleading guilty to possessing 31,000 illegal images, most involving human female sex acts with dogs, ponies, snakes, tigers and an octopus.

Although 30 percent of the total images involved child pornography, Hobart Supreme Court Justice David Porter today said only 20 percent of those were actually viewed by McLagan.

"Your interests lie in the bestiality material," Justice Porter said in sentencing today.

McLagan's lawyer David Barclay told the court that his client had little or no interest in child pornography, and no relevant prior convictions.

Those images were downloaded in bulk along with the bestiality material, Barclay said.

McLagan, a single man with no children, pleaded guilty on July 4 to possessing bestiality products and child exploitation material.

Police found the images on computers and discs discovered during a search of McLagan's home, near Hobart, on January 6 last year.