A Santa Barbara man who prosecutors say was adopting, torturing and then killing cats was sentenced to more than six years in prison after pleading guilty to animal cruelty, authorities announced Wednesday.

David Genovese, a 36-year-old Santa Barbara resident, pleaded guilty to five counts of animal cruelty and admitted to a special allegation of personally using a deadly weapon, according to a news release from the Santa Barbara County district attorney’s office. He was sentenced to six years and eight months in prison.

On Jan. 25, Santa Barbara County sheriff’s deputies found a cat with a paracord around its neck and its paws bound with duct tape in Genovese’s vehicle, according to the release. The cat named Sultan had broken teeth, bones and severe head trauma and had been adopted in

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