La Plata, MD - Daniel David Dietzel, 34 of Somerset, PA (formerly of Indian Head), will serve a five year flat sentence in the Maryland Department of Corrections in Jessup on charges including a perverted sexual act with a dog, manufacturing marijuana, driving on a suspended license and possession of CDS parephrenalia.

The five-year sentence was part of a plea agreement between Dietzel and the Charles County States Attorney’s Office.

Charles County Circuit Court Judge H. James West told Dietzel his sentence began March 15.

“This sentencing hearing is to clarify changes in his plea agreement,” West stated.

“This is your decision,” he told the defendant. “You know the ramifications of it.”

“Is there any preference which charges he does the five years for?” West asked defense attorney William Burgess and Charles County Assistant States Attorney John Stackhouse.

“It should be half and half,” Stackhouse replied.

“We will abide by your decision,” Burgess said.

“The plea tendered was for the perverted sexual practice, manufacturing marijuana and possession,” Stackhouse noted. “After discussion, the defendant does not want any probation (his original plea arrangement called for three years active time and five years of supervised probation). He wants to do a five-year active flat sentence with no probation. There are no other changes in the agreement,” he added.

“I want to put on record, I’ve talked to the owner of the dog multiple times,” Stackhouse stressed. “She was okay with this disposition. He tendered his plea in the two bigger cases, one of which was manufacturing marijuana. One consequence of growing and selling marijuana, it has incredible violent consequences, just in this county.

“In respect to the perverted practice, it is my hope that Mr. Dietzel will seek some counseling,” he added. “The owner of the dog felt betrayed by what he did.”

Stackhouse said at Dietzel’s plea hearing July 28 that a detective with the Fairfax County Police Department was leading an investigation into the exploitation of animals and beastiality before placing an advertisement on a beastiality web site, which was responded to by the defendant Oct. 24, 2014.

“Based on that response, Charles County Sheriff’s Office deputies executed a search warrant on a residence in Indian Head,” Stackhouse said. “Contact was made with the defendant who made a statement to Det. Long that he has always engaged in sexual acts with animals.”

Stackhouse added that at the time the search warrant was executed, Dietzel was pet sitting a pit bull for two-and-a-half days.

“The defendant admitted participating in sexual acts with the pit bull,” he said. “Had this matter proceeded to trial the state would have produced a video where the defendant called the pit bull by name and began massaging the dog’s genitals, and saying its name until the dog ejaculated.”

Stackhouse added July 28 that when officers executed the search warrant they found multiple marijuana plants, a growing light, temperature gauge and other items associated with marijuana manufacturing.

Dietzel faced another charge for when he was pulled over by a Charles County Sheriff's Office deputy July 4, 2014 for driving on a suspended license. He was found to be in possession of a pipe used to smoke marijuana in the console of his vehicle.

“Mr. Dietzel has not had access to mushrooms or meth since his incarceration,” Burgess told the court Thursday. “He’s going to serve five years. He does need to stay away from drugs and get his life back on track.”

West then sentenced Dietzel to 30 months on the perverted sex act, telling the defendant his sentence began March 16. He judge handed down another 30 month sentence on the manufacturing marijuana charge.

The judge tacked on 60 days to be served concurrently with the other two cases in the driving while suspended charge.

Contact Joseph Norris at joe.norris@thebaynet.com