A Dix Hills man has been accused of having sex with a dog that he allegedly stole and later beat with a baseball bat last year, authorities said.
Steven Errante pleaded not guilty at Suffolk County court to charges of animal cruelty, sexual misconduct and petit larceny.
Prosecutors said the 26-year-old stole the Rottweiler-Labrador mix from a fenced-in pen behind a church near his home on Deer Park Avenue in October.
The suspect then allegedly had sex with the dog in December, then brutally beat the dog, which suffered a fractured skull and was euthanized days later.
Judge Barbara Kahn set bail for Errante at $50,000 cash or $100,000 bond.
She also granted a request from the suspect’s attorney, Mary Beth Abbate, that Errante undergo a psychiatric evaluation to determine if he understands the proceedings and can assist in his own defense.
