Prineville man convicted in animal abuse case

A Prineville man has been convicted and sentenced on charges related to abusing and killing calves after he pleaded no contest in Crook County Circuit Court last week.

Ronald Livermore, 67, will spend three years in prison as part of his plea deal. He was ordered to pay more than $3,000 in restitution to the Prineville rancher who lost the calves.

Livermore was also convicted on illegally possessing a gun silencer and felon in possession of a firearm.

As part of his deal, animal sex abuse charges were dropped, according to Deputy District Attorney Matt Reiner, who added that under Oregon law, aggravated animal abuse convictions carry stiffer penalties than those of animal sex abuse.

Dozens of other counts related to possessing silencers also were dropped.

Shortly after Livermore’s December arrest, Crook County deputies told NewsChannel 21 Livermore’s apparent motive for killing the calves was to have sex with them.

Livermore spent a year in prison after he was convicted of a similar crime in 2008. In that case, he pleaded guilty to fatally shooting and wasting deer using an unregistered silencer. Animal sex abuse charges also were dropped in that case.

After he is released from prison, Livermore will spend three years on parole.