Second bite of the apple sends Blanke to DOC for 18 months in horse sex case

QUINCY — A man who was caught in a compromising position with a horse not once, but twice will go to the Illinois Department of Corrections for 18 months.

Jack Blanke, 39, appeared on crutches in Adams County Circuit Court Friday afternoon before Judge Robert Adrian. Blanke was given probation in July after being arrested in April for having sex with a horse on a farm on Deer Ridge Road. Adams County Deputies found Blanke in mid-coitus with the horse, standing on a bucket while feeding the horse an apple.

Blanke was given probation by Adrian, but 17 days later, was arrested for having sex with another horse, this time at a farm on North Bottom Road. This time, deputies found him with a pair of horses and his pants down around his ankles.

Assistant State’s Attorney Josh Jones said his office took some heat for giving Blanke probation the first time around and the public needs to know that probation means something.

Jones said Blanke also had two earlier instances where he had been hospitalized after being injured by a horse. The pre-sentence investigation reported Blanke was treated for being kicked by a horse in 2015 and treated for being bitten by a horse in 2017.

Public Defender Chris Pratt said Blanke was in jail for 83 days after he was re-arrested, but he had not offended again since he was released in October. Pratt also said Blanke had no criminal record before the April arrest.

Jones was adamant the court needed to show that violating probation has consequences.

“If (Blanke) goes out and reoffends again, the people who are ultimately responsible for your honor are the state and the judge were the ones who had to put our name on an order probation were the ones who have to take the consequences,” Jones said. “The community comes to us and say well, why would you do that? Why would you give him another chance and then he goes out and he does it again. I don’t mind taking heat the first time but as the saying goes ‘Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice. Shame on me. Fool me three times….’ Why are we here?”

Adrian then gave Blanke a chance to speak. Blanke wanted the court to know that his name is pronounced “blankey” and not “blank” and that he was not yet 40 years old.

“All I can say your honor…is I’m sorry, to this day.,” Blanke said. “I’m sorry to you. I’m sorry for my offense. But if I was given a chance on my Scout’s Honor which I am an Eagle Scout since 9/11 2001, which is a heck of an accomplishment. But all my scouts honor, I will not. I will do my treatment. I will stay on my probation and I will stay the hell away from two properties because apparently deputies in general like to sit down there and wait for me. And I haven’t been there since.”

Adrian told Blanke if he had made those promises and followed through the first time he had been granted probation, he wouldn’t be in court today and gave him the 18 months in the Department of Corrections for Criminal Damage to a Domestic Animal, a Class 4 Felony.

Blanke asked to go have time to get his affairs in order and he was denied. Adams County court personnel then escorted him to the jail.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE: MRN understands there is a “second bite of the apple” clause used in legal terminology and the headline does not infer that here. It was merely a play on the fact that Mr. Blanke fed the horses apples as an enticement.