A prominent crocodile expert in Australia’s Northern Territory yesterday pleaded guilty to a series of gruesome animal cruelty charges, including rape and torture of dogs.

According to the Daily Mail, 51-year-old Adam Robert Corden Britton began his sadistic activities in 2014 and authorities believe he tortured and sexually abused more than 42 dogs until his arrest in April 2022.

The distinguished zoologist, formerly of Charles Darwin University, appeared calm on Monday in a Northern Territory court and pleaded guilty to both his heinous crimes against animals entrusted to him by their owners and to trafficking child pornography material.

Before prosecutor Marty Ost read out details of the allegations, the judge warned the audience and journalists in the courtroom that evidence of “monstrous and perverse acts of cruelty” would be heard which, in his view, “could cause shock” to those present.

The descriptions reported in court yesterday are too shocking to relay, the British newspaper reports, noting that the 51-year-old’s actions led to the deaths of 39 dogs.

“The defendant had a sadistic sexual interest in animals, especially dogs,” the prosecutor said.

In addition to torturing his own animals, Britton approached unsuspecting pet owners from the Darwin area through advertisements, gaining their trust and convincing them to entrust him with the care of their dogs when they found it difficult to care for them due to work commitments or because they had to travel.

In one of the cases heard in court, Britton had sent the former owner of one of the dogs a reassuring message, which read “Wolfe has settled in well, is eating with appetite, and enjoying her new home”. In fact, the doggie had already been raped and tortured to death by the suspect.

The former academic, who had once invited the legendary David Attenborough to the university where he worked to give a talk, posted videos of him abusing dogs on perverted forums, using a pseudonym.

Last year, one of these videos was sent to a Northern Territory animal welfare organisation, which then forwarded the footage in question to the police. Britton was arrested in April 2022 and has remained in custody since then.

The man’s sentence will be announced at a new hearing on December 13.