“No hablo inglés,” replied Charles Thessing when asked by a reporter to comment on his upcoming trial for animal cruelty. Thessing, 63, had been serving as a pastor for St. Michael Church in West Memphis, Arkansas, prior to his arrest.
Editor’s note: This article refers to reports of animal cruelty that some readers might find disturbing.
Thessing was charged with two counts of aggravated animal cruelty after local authorities executed a search warrant on his home.
The West Memphis Police Department (WMPD) sought the warrant after receiving a video tip from animal control. The content of the video has not been publicly disclosed, but Thessing is accused of drowning cats.
When police arrived at Thessing’s residence on Feb. 10, they discovered two deceased house cats that appeared to have been drowned in a water tank. They also found animal traps.
Thessing was arrested and released on bond a few hours later.
Following Thessing’s arrest, Kerry Facello, director of the West Memphis Animal Shelter, said, “Animal cruelty cases are a top priority, and we will always enforce the law to protect the animals in our care.”
“The deliberate harming of an animal is 100% unacceptable,” she emphasized.
Thessing is listed as pastor on the website of St. Michael Church, but he has been suspended indefinitely by the diocese as a result of the charges against him.
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In a statement, Bishop Anthony B. Taylor said that the allegations against Thessing “are disturbing, and as your bishop I take them very seriously. At the same time, I also take seriously Father Thessing’s rights to due process and the presumption of innocence.”
