A&E Reality Star Tony McCollister Arrested for Child & Animal Sex Crimes

Warning: The following post reports on allegations of pandering obscenity involving a minor and sexual conduct with an animal.

Tony McCollister, who was one half of a swinging couple on the A&E reality show Neighbors With Benefits, has been arrested on two sex crime charges.

McCollister was arrested in Warren County, Ohio, on Tuesday on charges of pandering obscenity involving a minor and sexual conduct with an animal, according to Cincinnati’s WLWT.

The 43-year-old is accused of knowingly uploading child sexual abuse material online and engaging in sexual conduct with two dogs he owned, WLWT adds.

McCollister was arraigned on Thursday, and his bond was set at $250,000. He is due in court on Tuesday, December 30, and he was ordered to not have contact with children or pets.

A&E’s Neighbors With Benefits debuted in 2015, following married couples “as they court prospective partners and interact with friends and participants, all while going about their typical everyday lives as parents, professionals, soccer moms, and little league coaches” in their suburban Ohio community, according to a network press release.

McCollister and his wife, Diana, were the first of the couples to move into the neighborhood and served as leaders for the swinger movement, hosting events and recruiting new members, A&E added.

Neighbors With Benefits only aired two episodes on A&E before the network canceled the program.

In a subsequent interview with Cincinnati’s WXIX, the McCollisters explained that they’d been swinging for 12 years and hoped Neighbors With Benefits would show viewers that swingers are normal people who are defining marriage their way.

“The lifestyle isn’t for everyone,” Tony said at the time. “You’re not going to force your spouse into it and have it end well. There are a lot of negative things that go along with this, but it can be a very positive thing if you approach it in an open, honest way, with open, honest communication.”

If you or someone you know is the victim of sexual assault, contact the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network’s National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or someone you know is the victim of child abuse, contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453). If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.