Professor arrested for ‘sex acts with pet dog’ says he does it to ‘blow off steam’

An acclaimed US university professor has been accused of performing sex acts with his pet dog.

Themis Matsoukas, 64, was allegedly caught on CCTV, during the lewd act with his border collie in Rothrock State forest, Pennsylvania.

The clip, filmed earlier this year, is said to show the Penn State University professor near some toilets, naked from the waist down apart from socks and shoes.

After seeing the footage, The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources launched an investigation and, according to a criminal complaint, identified Matsoukas through personal items and his dog.

It’s then alleged the distraught academic admitted to investigators he did it to ‘blow off steam’, reports fox43.com.

He was charged on Tuesday with open lewdness, indecent exposure, sexual intercourse with an animal, and summary charges of cruelty to animals and disorderly conduct. 

Matsoukas is a professor of chemical engineering and has been at Penn State University since 1991. He has written a number of books and won distinguished teaching awards.

However, following the allegations the university released a statement saying he’d ‘been relieved of his responsibilities and is on leave’. 

Investigators allegedly caught him in the act in May, after using various items seen in the footage, including his collie, a North Face backpack, ski mask and an electronic tablet to identify the teacher.

According to charging documents, when officials executed warrants to search his home, Matsoukas became ‘visibly nervous’.

He initially denied any knowledge of the sexual acts, it said, but panicked when officers told him they believed he knew why they were there.

Officers say he began repeatedly saying: ‘I’m done, I’m dead’. He then begged officers to shoot him, telling them ‘I need to die’, the documents state.

When asked about the motive behind the acts, he replied: ‘I do it to blow off steam’. 

The documents state there are further images featuring Matsoukas’ backpack, suggesting his lewd habits date back to at least 2014.

He also allegedly recorded himself while carrying out the acts using an electronic tablet, fox43.com reported.

His lawyer, Matthew McClenahen, said on Wednesday it would be ‘inappropriate’ to comment on the matter at this time.

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