CONWAY, S.C. -- A South Carolina man will spend three years in prison for molesting a horse. Rodell Vereen pleaded guilty to a charge of buggery and a probation violation.
The story begins at Lazy B Stables, a quiet horse farm that Barbara Kenley calls her retreat.
"This is supposed to be my enjoyment, my serenity, my peace of mind out here. This is where I come to get away from everything," Kenley told a S.C. television station in an exclusive interview on Tuesday.
But Kenley's tranquil respite fell apart near the end of 2007 when she discovered a man had been having sex with her horse. What was once a place for enjoyment turned into a place of disbelief and disgust.
"He's totally destroyed that. For a whole year and a half, I've been destroyed."
On July 29 of this year, Horry County Police arrested Vereen again for having sex with Sugar, a 21-year-old horse kept at the stable near Longs.
In court Wednesday, Judge Larry Hyman revoked probation from the first buggery charge, and ordered Vereen to serve the original three-year sentence.
On the new charge of buggery, Judge Hyman sentenced Vereen to five years, suspended it to three years, to be served at the same time as the original sentence. Once he's released, Vereen will be on probation for two years and must seek mental health counseling.
In court, Vereen apologized for his actions.
Kenley said she's relieved, but wishes the judge had chosen a longer sentence. She also says the ordeal has been pure hell.
(WPDE-TV contributed to this story)
