Rev. Charles Thessing, a Catholic priest who will begin a new assignment in the Diocese of Shreveport on Jan. 1, pleaded guilty last week to two counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty in West Memphis, Ark.
Thessing was originally charged with two counts of aggravated cruelty to a dog, cat, or equine, a Class D felony offense. Aggravated cruelty requires evidence the defendant tortured the animals.
According to Kerry Facello, the director of the West Memphis Animal Shelter, Thessing was arrested after her team responded to a tip in February that he was trapping and drowning cats.
Facello says they found multiple traps on his property, a large tub of water, and two dead cats in his trash can.
Facello says Thessing would place the cats, trapped in their cage, under water and leave them there for a "few hours." He would then return and remove the trap from the tub, Facello said.
When Thessing pleaded guilty, he was not sentenced to jail, but he was forced to pay a $3,000 fine, which included court costs and a restitution payment to the West Memphis Animal Shelter.
According to Fox 13 in Memphis, at the time Thessing was arrested, he was serving as the lead priest at St. Mark's Catholic Church in West Memphis and Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Crawfordsville, Ark. He was removed from his posts while the case was pending.
According to a publication of the Catholic Church, Thessing has been appointed to begin a new assignment in the Diocese of Shreveport. There is no information on what the assignment will be. He will remain incardinated in the Diocese of Little Rock.
Tracie Stroud, the Shreveport Diocese communications director, said, "We have no comment at this time, but we understand the public's concerns."