Iowa man accused of beating dog with belt, fists convicted of animal torture

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

An Iowa man accused of beating his dog and making his son record it was convicted of animal torture Thursday.

Jason O'Neil Johnson, 42, of Independence, faces a prison sentence of up to two years and a fine between $635 and $6,250, KWWL reported.

Johnson was arrested May 23 after holding his dog down and beating her with a belt and his fists, the television station reported. The dog, a 2-year-old pitbull/boxer/mastiff named Daisy, had chewed a pair of sunglasses, according to KCRG.

According to a criminal complaint, the approximately 13-second video showed a man punching the dog 15 times in eight seconds, The Courier of Cedar Rapids reported.

Johnson was identified by two witnesses as the man in the video, the newspaper reported.

In addition to jail time and fines, Johnson must have a psychological evaluation along and put in community service, the television station reported.

A sentencing date has not been set.

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