Charlotte County investigators said home surveillance footage prompted the arrest, while the woman denied that any sexual contact occurred.
PUNTA GORDA, Fla. — A 38-year-old Florida woman was arrested after investigators said home surveillance footage showed her allegedly engaging in sexual activity with the family dog, according to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office.
Malia Elizabeth Nummerdor was arrested Sept. 15 and charged with sexual activity involving animals, which the Sheriff’s Office identified as a second-degree felony under Florida law. Authorities said Nummerdor acknowledged during an interview that she was the woman shown in the footage and that the animal was the family pet, but she denied that sexual conduct had occurred. The charge is an allegation, and no conviction has been reported.
The investigation began after detectives learned of social media posts accusing a woman of inappropriate sexual conduct involving a dog, the Sheriff’s Office said. Investigators contacted the person who made the allegations and obtained sworn statements and digital material from a home surveillance system. Deputies said the evidence led them to interview Nummerdor the following day.
According to an arrest report described by local news outlets, Nummerdor’s husband told investigators he had installed two security cameras inside the home while trying to determine who had been taking money from a coin container. He said the cameras were known to people living in the home. While reviewing recordings from a bedroom camera, he said he found footage involving Nummerdor and the family dog.
The husband met with investigators Sept. 14 and provided images from the recording as well as access to a laptop containing the surveillance footage, according to reports citing the arrest documents. The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office said investigators reviewed digital evidence before interviewing Nummerdor. Authorities have not publicly released the video, and descriptions of its contents come from law enforcement and court-related reporting.
During the Sept. 15 interview, Nummerdor confirmed that she was the person seen in the footage and that the dog belonged to the family, the Sheriff’s Office said. She denied engaging in sexual activity and offered a different explanation for her interaction with the animal. Investigators said they considered her explanations inconsistent with what they observed in the recording. Nummerdor later requested an attorney, and the interview ended.
The Sheriff’s Office subsequently arrested Nummerdor on a charge of sexual activity involving animals. Florida law prohibits knowingly engaging in sexual contact with an animal and classifies a violation as a second-degree felony. The statute includes several forms of prohibited conduct, but authorities have not publicly alleged that every form listed in the law occurred in this case.
Sheriff Bill Prummell said in a statement that authorities would take action when they learned of alleged sexual conduct involving animals in Charlotte County. His office described the case as disturbing and emphasized the protection of animals. The Sheriff’s Office did not announce additional charges in its initial release.
Reports citing booking information said Nummerdor was being held at the Charlotte County Jail with bond set at $35,000 following her arrest. CBS Miami reported Sept. 18 that she remained in custody at that time. Publicly available reports reviewed for this article did not establish that the charge had been resolved or that a court had reached a finding on the allegation.
The case remains a criminal allegation. Nummerdor has denied that sexual activity occurred, while investigators say the surveillance evidence supports the felony charge. No trial outcome or final adjudication had been announced as of Sept. 20.
Author note: Last updated September 20, 2026.