CANTON ‒ A 29-year-old East Canton man who previously admitted to sexually assaulting a dog has been charged again with a similar crime.

A criminal complaint filed by East Canton police says the defendant knowingly engaged in sexual activity with a brown American pitbull named Gopher, nearly suffocating the animal on April 26, 2024. The complaint said the act was recorded on the defendant's cell phone.

The defendant, who lives on South Werley Road, is charged with cruelty to companion animals and sexual conduct with an animal.

The case is pending in Canton Municipal Court, where the defendant pleaded not guilty on Sept. 12. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for Sept. 17.

He was being held Sept. 15 in the Stark County Jail on a $50,000 bond set in municipal court following his Sept. 12

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