Hey everyone, new to the site. I was just wondering where the law starts and ends for this stuff? Is it ok to talk about and view? I know beastiality isnt legal anywhere but is anyone worried about their phone being monitored and their doors being knocked down because they had intent to act or downloaded a picture?
First, officers of the law are more likely to be your allies than your enemies. When you think that you might be a victim of cyber-stalking or feel at risk of getting hurt, then somebody could be committing a serious crime against you, and it is your civic duty to report that crime.
You are not obligated to acknowledge having actually engaged in a sex act with an animal. In the United States of America, you are always under the protection of the 5th Amendment, and you may not be compelled or considered obligated to say anything to incriminate yourself nor to have your refusal negate the same be construed as a statement of guilt. You need neither confirm nor deny that you enjoy actually having sex with animals.
In some states, the possession of bestiality pornography is a crime, EXCEPT in the case of illustrations; illustrations are considered to be an exercise of the freedom of speech. If you have ever had photographs or videos of illegal pornography on your computer, then I suggest investing in software to have it erased permanently from your machine: deleting it is not enough because deletion leaves file fragments on your machine. Illustrations are currently legal due to the First Amendment.
You cannot be convicted based on hearsay: just because somebody claims that you are a zoophile or just because you are reputed to be a zoophile, that does not mean that you can be convicted based on this reputation. No matter how many people know that you are a zoophile, whether because you have told them that you are a zoophile or because somebody else claimed that you were a zoophile, that alone counts as hearsay. Legally, being said to be a zoophile means nothing. Technically, it would still be hearsay if you said it openly to a police officer UNLESS that police officer had placed you under arrest, for any reason, and stated in your hearing that your words can be used against you (Miranda rights).
Also, an important distinction is that just BEING a zoophile is not illegal anywhere, and it cannot possibly be. The law could not make it illegal to be you without also acknowledging that zoophilia is an immutable part of who you are, and that would almost certainly have political consequences that would most likely favor you. You could only possibly be convicted based on an act that could be proved in court.
I discuss these rights that you have in order to make sure you know that the law is generally on your side if you are a peaceful person. If you are a peaceful person, then the law always does more to protect you than it ever will to persecute you. Just don't harbour evidence that can be used against you, and don't acknowledge doing anything illegal in any context where your word can be used against you.
