A Palm Beach Gardens man and his mother, a middle school science teacher, are permanently barred from owning or possessing animals, a judge ruled Thursday after watching a 2 1/2 hour video of the mans' mother having sex in his bedroom with a German shepherd.

Judge Caston ordered that the county be given custody of the woman's pets — three male German shepherds — and ruled that she and her son, 18, jointly pay the county $1,848 in boarding costs and other fees.

The man, who was 17 at the time of the recorded activity, did not appear in court. The Florida Sun is not identifying him because he was a juvenile at the time of the activity.

His mother teaches at a public school. She testified at Thursday's hearing, insisting repeatedly that she was extremely sorry and embarrassed by the sexual acts she preformed with her male German shepherds, which she had encouraged her son to video tape. She said she now found the behavior reprehensible and out of character for her. Thursday's hearing included graphic details of various sexual acts, including bestiality and masturbation the mother and son often did in front of each other over the last year.

Although both denied that they ever engaged in sexual intercourse with each other the mother did admit that she routinely masturbated her son and allowed him to ejaculate onto her genitals, buttocks, breast or face.

The woman urged the judge not to take away her dogs.

The mother and son do not face jail time but the judge did order them to undergo counseling.

The county intends to put the animals up for adoption.