Florida woman charged with felony over alleged sex act with dog

A Punta Gorda woman is facing a second-degree felony charge after Charlotte County investigators said home surveillance video appeared to show her engaging in sexual activity with the family dog, an allegation she has denied.

Malia Elizabeth Nummerdor, 38, was arrested on one count of sexual contact with an animal, according to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office. Under Florida law, the offense is a second-degree felony.

The case began Sept. 11, when a Charlotte County detective learned of Facebook posts from Ms. Nummerdor’s estranged husband, Erik Nummerdor, alleging he had discovered footage of the sexual contact, according to an arrest affidavit. Erik Nummerdor told investigators he had installed surveillance cameras inside the home, including one in a bedroom, after money went missing from a coin container, and that he later found footage showing his estranged wife with the dog, identified as Ranger. He turned over screenshots and a laptop containing the surveillance files, which detectives said corroborated his account.

Detectives interviewed Ms. Nummerdor on Tuesday. She acknowledged the dog was hers and that she was the woman shown in the recording but denied any sexual contact, telling investigators she had simply been lying with and petting her elderly dog near its bed, according to the affidavit. Investigators said her account of her position and the dog’s did not match what the footage showed. She ended the interview and asked for an attorney once questioning continued.

Sheriff Bill Prummell condemned the alleged conduct, saying in a statement, “I simply cannot comprehend this behavior.”

Ms. Nummerdor was booked into the Charlotte County Jail on $35,000 bond.