Men accused in shark dragging video plead not guilty to animal abuse charges

Three Manatee County men who face felony animal cruelty charges in connection with an infamous shark dragging video entered not guilty pleas in a Tampa courtroom Wednesday morning.

The men – Robert Lee “Bo” Benac, 28, Michael Wenzel, 21, and Spencer Heintz, 23 – are each being charged with two counts of aggravated animal cruelty, a third-degree felony, announced by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Benac and Wenzel also face one count of using an illegal method to take a shark, a second-degree misdemeanor.

All three are out of jail on bond but were not present at the arraignment. Attorneys entered the pleas in court on behalf of their clients.

The viral video released in July 2017 shows three men on a boat laughing and watching as the shark, which is tied on a rope, violently bobs in the water as it is dragged from the high-speed boat.

“Look it’s already almost dead,” said one man while pointing and laughing at the shark.

The video sparked outrage nationwide, and investigators spent months speaking with shark experts and poring through footage. That led to the charges, which were filed in Hillsborough County, as “many of these incidents occurred in Hillsborough,” State Attorney Ed Brodsky said in October.

It also brought on a petition calling for legal action against the men in the video and was signed by thousands. It was even called out by Gov. Rick Scott, who said he wanted laws to prevent “such inhumane acts.”

This story was originally published January 10, 2018 at 10:57 AM with the headline "Men accused in shark dragging video plead not guilty to animal abuse charges."