Five men belonging to the “furry” subculture have been accused of repeatedly raping a boy at their furry parties beginning in 2009 when the boy was 9 years old.
Per a report on NBC Philadelphia, the five arrested by police in Philadelphia and Virginia are Kenneth Fenske, David Parker, Jeffrey Harvey, Craig Knox and Stephen Taylor.
“Furries” are known for dressing up in plush animal costumes and adopting these animals’ identities. Furries often congregate at conventions across the United States and express themselves by commissioning terrible portraits on the website DeviantArt. The fandom can also involve sexual fetishes.
Recently, two furries in California were arrested in connection with three murders in the state.
In the Pennsylvania case, investigators determined that the sexual abuse began in 2009 when Parker started taking the victim, who was 9-years-old at the time, to his furry parties. The victim told authorities that Kenneth Fenske, whose “fursona” was that of a red fox and called himself “Lupine,” would take him to a room upstairs and rape him. The abuse, he said, occurred over a period of seven years in Bucks County, a wealthy suburb of Philadelphia.
Police charged Fenske with child rape and related offenses. The four other furries —Parker, Harvey, Knox and Taylor — have also been charged with a host of felonies. Parker was charged with child rape and possession of child pornography. Harvey, who allegedly recorded the sexual abuse, was charged with unlawful contact with a minor, criminal use of a cell phone, and statutory sexual assault. Knox and Taylor, who were both arrested in Virginia, were charged with a variety of sexual offenses.
The victim is currently living in foster care and receiving therapy. NBC says that he is related to one of the suspects but court documents did not disclose anything more than that.
Speaking to the press, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro described the case as “horrendous” and added that the investigation has not yet concluded and that there will likely be more arrests.
“We believe it is likely there could be more victims out there from this ring of abuse,” Shapiro said. “We want to help them and protect them from any further abuse. We’re seeking the public’s help today and asking people to come forward and speak with our Office or the Bucks DA’s Office if they know anything.”