A former star of A&E’s short-lived swinger reality show “Neighbors With Benefits” pleaded guilty to 17 charges, including four that involved sex acts performed on his two dogs, as his bench trial for child rape got underway.
In addition to four bestiality charges of having sexual conduct with an animal, Tony McCollister entered guilty pleas on 13 counts of pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor, People reported, citing court records.
He’s still on the hook for allegedly drugging and raping a 5-year-old. On the docket are four counts of rape, five counts of gross sexual imposition, three counts of endangering children and one count of corrupting another with drugs, People reported. Those will be decided by a judge, as McCollister opted to forego a jury trial, according to WXIX-TV.
“Neighbors With Benefits” sparked controversy even before it aired back in 2015 with its depiction of suburban couples in Warren County, Ohio, living a partner-swapping lifestyle. The trailer alone shocked actual neighbors who had a hard time believing this was happening “right in my backyard,” as one resident told WLWT.
McCollister and his then wife were one of three couples the series featured. Although nine episodes were filmed, only two aired before A&E yanked the controversial and critically panned series, WXIX reported at the time.
McCollister was arrested in December and attempted an insanity defense plea in February to several of the charges, asking for a mental health evaluation. Last week his former partner, Erica Grove, was convicted for similar sex crimes but found not guilty of child drugging and rape. She tried to pin her crimes on McCollister, saying he’d groomed her to commit them with him, and tried to get the now 6-year-old child to testify in court.