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Matthew Steffensen caught with videos of him getting his dog to pleasure him

An Upper Coomera retail worker has been fine after being caught getting his dog to perform a shocking act.

Matthew Steffensen outside court in Southport.
Matthew Steffensen outside court in Southport.

AN Upper Coomera retail worker has been fined after being caught getting his dog to pleasure him.

Matthew Steffensen, 35, yesterday pleaded guilty in the Southport Magistrates Court to one count of breaching a duty of care to an animal.

The BCF worker was caught with videos of him getting his dog Buddy to lick cream off his genitals while he pleasured himself.

The court was told Steffensen was heard encouraging the dog and moaning in the videos.

Police found the five videos when conducting an unrelated search warrant on his home on April 18.

Magistrate Jane Bentley fined Steffensen $200.

She said it was clear the dog was not harmed.

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Steffensen’s lawyer Michael Purcell, of Potts Lawyers, told the court Steffensen was going through a marriage breakdown at the time.

“It’s not an animal cruelty charge — just breach of care,” he said.

“It doesn’t appear the dog was in distress.”

The court was told when police found the videos in July they seized the dog and contacted the RSPCA.

The dog was taken to the Animal Welfare League who have since rehomed Buddy with another family.

RSPCA spokesman Michel Beatty said outside court the organisation was seeing an increase in similar cases.

“Police are seizing people’s phones when they suspect abuse and finding these types of videos,” he said.

He urged magistrates to be more mindful.

“Perhaps a fine more in keeping with community expectations would have been imposed,” he said.

It is not clear what breed of dog Buddy is.

Original URL: https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/crime-court/matthew-steffensen-caught-with-videos-of-him-getting-his-dog-to-pleasure-him/news-story/0918c78050ed76f2f6ea43a07e99919d