WITI-TV, MILWAUKEE - Terry Cullen is in the midst of a trial, and is at the center of the controversy after police seized hundreds of his reptiles. Cullen is talking about the reptiles, and his arrest for the first time since his arrest.
A criminal complaint says more than 200 reptiles were found in inexcusable, and deplorable conditions. Police found them in two south side buildings May 12th. The man responsible for those reptiles, Terry Cullen, would use those same words to describe what police did that day.
Cullen says the house on S. 17th St. is basically untouched since the police raid. "This was just vandalism. Tantamount to vandalism."
Cullen is charged with sexually assaulting a 24-year-old woman in this house in February. He says, "That was simply a person I was interviewing for a volunteer position, and I can't say more than that."
While investigating the sexual assault complaint police found snakes, cayman, turtles, alligators living in what they call filthy conditions. Cullen says the warehouse on S. 13th St. was supposed to be temporary. Most of the reptiles came to the warehouse after the heating in another building out of state broke. Cullen showed FOX6 some of the new cages he purchased for the reptiles, but never go to use. Cullen said, "Those animals were destined to be out of Wisconsin, the bulk of them, on the 23rd of May."
What visibly upsets Cullen most about the day of the police search is when they shot his two Tibetan Temple Dogs. They're dogs Cullen says were an important part of his life.
While Cullen says he doesn't consider himself an expert on reptiles, others did. Multiple photos show Cullen working with a biologist to put satellite tracking equipment on a crocodile, working with an agency overseas to save the endangered Philippine crocodile, and appearances on television shows with his 285 lbs. anaconda.
Cullen is known for his work with the Chinese government to save the endangered Chinese Alligator, without any traditional credentials. Cullen says, "If you look at my track record intentionally, and the thing I've been involved in. The situations I've been involved in, people who come to me for advice and information. It might tell you of a life experience that is significantly beyond what most people would access it to be."
What about allegations some of the reptiles in Cullen's buildings were in poor health? Cullen agrees he got them that way, and was rehabbing them. "When I got them many of these animals had a gut full of shot. They would bring me these animals that hunters would bring in, never thinking the lead would poison these animals."
Cullen's lawyer claims even a picture of a reptile skeleton police found in the building does not mean the animal died under Cullen's care. The reptile was already dead when a teacher brought it in to have it skeletonized.
If the charges are proven, Cullen could be behind bars for the rest of his life.
The second building involved in the police search on S. 13th St. was not in this story, because the lawyer who wanted to accompany FOX6 crews ran out of time.
www.fox6now.com/news/witi-100815-cullen-tag,0,6470575.story
