Betsy Benac Defends Son in Animal Cruelty Case

BRADENTON – Manatee County Commissioner Betsy Benac broke her silence this week regarding her son's 2017 arrest on felony animal cruelty charges related to the infamous shark dragging incident, for which three area men were arrested. In a statement, Benac said that "the real cruelty has been the hate filled media campaign" and the pain and suffering it has caused the men and their families.

Robert "Bo" Benac, 30, took a plea deal last week that reduced his charge to a misdemeanor. He will serve 10 days in jail, which he will be able to complete on weekends, pay a $2,500 fine, and owe 250 hours of community service at an animal shelter, while surrendering his fishing license for three years.

Commissioner Benac claimed the shark was taken legally and handled properly once caught. She said that her son "has never abused any animal" and that there "were no pictures of him shooting ANY shark or pouring beer into the mouth of any fish."

Commissioner Benac was referring to media stories that gained international attention after one of the other men on the boat that day, Michael Wenzel, was discovered to have posted numerous pictures that seem to show him and others torturing sea animals, many of which included morbid captions.

In many pictures, it is impossible to identify all of the people involved. One photo (pictured above right) seems to show Benac holding open the mouth of what appears to be a Goliath Grouper, though it is his friend Wenzel who is pouring beer into the fish’s mouth. Wenzel was also arrested in the shark dragging case and took a similar plea deal earlier this year

Commissioner Benac blamed "false reporting and a social media campaign of vile and obscene lies" for her son and his friends having been "found guilty by the public with no due process," and said that she wanted to set the record straight, based on "the undisputed facts of the case," which she says do not support a crime. Click here to read Commissioner Benac’s statement in its entirety.