Tortoise torture suspect in court for new charges

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. — The suspect in the tortoise torture case appeared before a judge Thursday morning on new charges.

Jennifer Greene, 18, is charged with a count of lewd and lascivious battery on another person. The charges come from a different case that investigators say happened about a week before she turned 18.

At court, the judge appointed Greene a public defender. Greene will remain in jail unless she bonds out on adult charges.

Greene was arrested last week and is accused of stomping on a gopher tortoise and setting it on fire. She faces five years in prison for animal cruelty charges in the tortoise torture case, which is scheduled to be reviewed by a judge on Aug. 27.

The State Attorney's Office says it has filed the case and plans to prosecute her in adult court. She faces a possible 15-year prison sentence, the State Attorney's Office said.

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