Police had early signs Whatcom Co. smuggler liked bestiality *PIC*

Posted By: Char Olson
Date: Wednesday, 21 April 2010, at 6:22 p.m.

In Response To: Sex tourists invited to abuse animals. (Char Olson)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Police-had-early-signs-Whatcom-Co-smuggler-liked-bestiality-91537764.html

Police had early signs Whatcom Co. smuggler liked bestiality

by Associated Press and KING5.com Staff
KING5.com
Posted on April 19, 2010 at 1:16 PM
Updated Monday, Apr 19 at 11:13 PM

SEATTLE -- Last week's animal-abuse arrest of a convicted cocaine smuggler wasn't the first time authorities had found something linking him to bestiality.

A Monroe police commander said Monday that when Douglas Spink's sport utility vehicle was pulled over in 2005, Spink was strangely protective of a female German shepherd that was with him, and he had stickers on the car indicating he was an animal-man-love activist.

Cmdr. Steve Clopp said investigators didn't bother with those clues because they had much more pressing concerns, namely the 372 pounds of cocaine in the SUV.

"It struck us all as very odd," Clopp said. "We really hadn't ever dealt with it before. I mean, you're driving around with 169 kilos of cocaine, you might be concerned with yourself or the predicament you're in. But he was just really concerned with the dog."

Spink, once a wealthy entrepreneur in Oregon, received a three-year sentence in the smuggling case because he cooperated and helped bring down local kingpin Robert Kesling, who's serving 17 years.

After doing his time, Spink moved to a crudely built compound in Whatcom County, near the Canadian border. He was arrested last week on charges of violating the terms of his supervised release from prison by engaging in animal cruelty and withholding information from probation officers about his travel and assets.

His lawyer insists there's no evidence Spink engaged in bestiality.

A 51-year-old tourist from Great Britain was on the property and was arrested for investigation of bestiality after agents found videos of him abusing dogs. Investigators seized dozens of animals from the compound -- horses, dogs and mice.

According to documents filed in Whatcom County Superior Court on Monday as part of the case against the tourist, Spink was running a bestiality-themed Web site from the compound.

Investigators also said it appeared Spink operated a farm where visitors could engage in twisted sex acts with animals, and they said they found images of child pornography there.

Spink has not been charged with any bestiality or child porn charges, only with violating the terms of his supervised release. He appeared in U.S. District Court in Seattle on Friday and was ordered detained pending a hearing set for April 30.

Spink was pulled over in 2005 after investigators watched five suitcases of cocaine being loaded into his Chevy Tahoe. Clopp, a sergeant at the time, was a narcotics K-9 officer and took part in the search of the vehicle.

He said the initials written on the SUV's stickers were not obviously connected to bestiality. In fact, agents researched them in case they were signals of legitimacy to other smugglers.

That's when they learned the stickers concerned groups devoted to animal-human love, Clopp said.

"Who puts stickers on their cars -- even covertly -- saying you're into bestiality?" he asked.

People who knew Spink say his actions could have been avoided.

"He is very, very charming when he meets people in social situations," said Karen Reid who breeds horses on Fox Island.

She and Spink became friends 8 years ago and he maintained her company's Web site.

"The next thing I knew, my Web site became a porno site… It was one of those many sites you can go to to access beastiality."

Reid wishes she could go back in time to protect the animals.

"I am very upset myself and the rest of us in the dog and horse world," she said. "We always felt powerless to do anything, we really did."

Authorities continue to pour over the evidence found at the crudely built compound to determine exactly what charges will be filed.

Right now Spink remains in federal custody on charges of violating his parole. He served prison time in 2005 for smuggling cocaine.