Police in Bucks County have arrested a group of men accused of repeatedly sexually abusing a young boy while dressed as “furries”, a subculture in which people adorn themselves in animal costumes as a form of self-expression. Members of the “furry” community typically bond through attending conventions, sharing visual art, and chatting in online communities. While there can be a sexual fetish component to the subculture, it is not a part of the mainstream “furry fandom” shared by most who partake.
Kenneth Fenske, 57, of Quakertown, Bucks County; David Parker, 38, of Stroudsburg, Monroe County; Jeffrey Harvey, 40, of West Wyoming, Luzerne County; Craig Knox; and Stephen Taylor were all arrested in connection with this case according to a January 29th press release by the state attorney general’s office.
The abuse allegedly began in 2009 when Parker first started taking the victim, then 9 years old, to a home in Bucks County where the victim stated a group of men dressed as “furries” would gather. The boy told investigators that a man dressed as a fox would take him upstairs during these “furry” parties and sexually abuse him. The fox was identified as Kenneth Fenske, according to a criminal complaint and affidavit filed in conjunction with his arrest. The affidavit also states that Parker would take the victim to other homes to be sexually abused.
According to the state attorney general’s press release, Fenske was arrested on January 27th and charged with child rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and unlawful contact with a minor. Parker has been charged with child rape and possession of child pornography. Harvey has been charged with unlawful contact with a minor, criminal use of a cell phone, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, and attempted statutory sexual assault. Both Knox and Taylor were arrested in Virginia in connection with this case. Knox has been extradited to Pennsylvania and is currently being held in Luzerne County.
The victim is currently in foster care and receiving therapy. Attorney General Josh Shapiro stated that the investigation is ongoing and that there are likely more victims involved in this ring of abuse. Anyone with information is asked to call the AG’s Office at 1-800-385-1044.
While the investigation continues to unfold, we encourage the prosecutors to look into bringing the additional charges of trafficking in minors and involuntary servitude against the abusers under Pennsylvania’s human trafficking statute, if appropriate. In Pennsylvania, it is a felony to recruit, entice, solicit, harbor, transport, provide, obtain or maintain an individual if the person knows or recklessly disregards that the individual will be subject to involuntary servitude. Here, the investigation states that Parker transported the victim to a house in Bucks County where he harbored the victim and provided him to other men dressed as “furries” who sexually abused the victim.
Additionally, in regards to an involuntary servitude charge, under Pennsylvania law, it is a felony to knowingly subject an individual to sexual servitude by any means of force, fraud, or coercion, which are listed in the statute. Among the means listed are kidnapping, physically restraining, threatening to cause serious harm, and using any scheme, plan, or pattern intended to make the victim believe if he does not engage in the sex act, he will suffer physical harm. While the details of this case may not yet satisfy the means listed in the statute, the prosecution does not need to prove any means of force, fraud or coercion in a case where the victim is a minor.
Given that child sex abuse cases frequently have connections to human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation, it is important for authorities to be well-versed in Pennsylvania’s new human trafficking statute in order to better recognize when this type of sexual exploitation may have occurred and charge perpetrators appropriately. We applaud the various local and out-of-state agencies that worked together to make these arrests.