19-year-old pleads guilty to attempting sexual act with a Shetland pony

Thomas Mikaelson, a 19-year-old from Lowerhouses in Huddersfield, pleaded guilty at Leeds Crown Court to attempting to allow sexual penetration of a living animal, specifically a Shetland pony called Cheeky, during an incident at Gledhill Farm in Almondbury, West Yorkshire, on August 24, 2025. He contested a second allegation of reckless trespassing to commit a sexual offence, which the prosecutor, Robert Galley, requested be left on file as it was deemed not in the public interest to pursue at this stage.

Judge Phillips KC noted that the farm owner provided a victim impact statement, highlighting the effect on the farm and its operations. Mikaelson, dressed in a light grey suit jacket and grey jeans, awaits sentencing on November 17. The court has ordered the Probation Service to prepare a report evaluating his potential risk to the public.