Justin Mackley, 57, a former registered nurse, was sentenced in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court after pleading guilty to a rolled-up charge of bestiality and possessing child abuse material. He received a two-year community correction order and was made a registered sex offender for 15 years.
Mackley abused two female horses, named Kissy and Luna, on multiple occasions on a farm in Leongatha, a town in rural Victoria. The court heard that Mackley joined a Telegram chat group created by the farm's owner, Timothy Slaney, where members could share bestiality material and gain access to Slaney's farm for such acts. Investigators discovered that Mackley transferred $390 to Slaney's PayPal account between October 2021 and June 2025.
Messages uncovered by police indicated that arrangements were made for Mackley to visit the farm. In one instance, Slaney messaged Mackley asking if he remembered where the horses were located, to which Mackley replied, "Yep, should be able to find it. Just getting apples. Be there soon." Following the abuse on December 30, 2023, Slaney thanked Mackley for a "mystery gift" and inquired if he "enjoyed seeing the girls," receiving the response, "Yes, totally did." After another incident on April 1, 2024, Mackley left a bottle of Maker's Mark whisky in Slaney's car as a gift.
Victoria Police raided Mackley's Melbourne home on September 2, 2023, seizing an iPad containing child abuse material. Mackley admitted to police that he paid $390 for access to abuse the horses on multiple occasions and stated he had known Slaney for about seven years. He also informed other group members of Slaney's arrest, prompting them to delete their chats, which Magistrate Michelle Mykytowycz noted as an aggravating factor, demonstrating an understanding that the conduct was morally or legally wrong.
Magistrate Mykytowycz described Mackley's actions as "transactional," "planned," and "purposeful," noting that while there was no evidence of visible trauma to the horses, this did not mitigate the offense. She emphasized that animals are vulnerable and dependent on humans, and the court must denounce such behavior.
Mackley's defense noted "deviant sexual interests" and "escalating pornography use" attributed to loneliness and social isolation, as well as occupational burnout and difficulties with emotional intimacy. A psychologist found he had a "longstanding animal-related sexual interest that escalated from fantasy and online exposure into real-world behaviour."
Slaney, who has pleaded guilty to multiple charges including bestiality, is scheduled for a pre-sentence hearing on October 5. Mackley's admissions were considered a significant factor in sparing him a jail term, as they provided evidence that would have been difficult for the prosecution to prove otherwise. He was convicted, handed the two-year order, and registered as a sex offender for 15 years. He has been unemployed since his arrest 13 years after completing his nursing degree.