KANSAS City, Kan., April 3 (Reuters) - A Kansas man
convicted of sexually molesting a dog does not have to register
as a sex offender, the Kansas Supreme Court ruled.
Joshua Coman pleaded guilty to misdemeanor criminal sodomy
in Sedgwick County, Kansas, after being charged in 2008 with
having sexual contact with his roommate's Rottweiler in a
garage.
In Kansas, criminal sodomy is defined as involving either
humans or animals but another law governs whether registration
is required.
Prosecutors argued before the district court and Kansas
Court of Appeals that state law requires Coman to register
because he was guilty of a "sexually motivated" crime meant to
gratify the offender.
But the state Supreme Court in a ruling on Friday agreed
that Coman's crime was sexually motivated but said state law is
not clear whether misdemeanor sodomy falls into the category of
sexual offenses requiring registration.
Attorneys for Sedgwick County declined specific comment
Tuesday on the court's decision.
"The Supreme Court issued a ruling and we respect that,"
said Georgia Cole, spokeswoman for the district attorney's
office.

(Reporting by Kevin Murphy; Editing by Greg McCune)