All defendants in love triangle involving bestiality out of jail on bond

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- One of the women allegedly involved in a love triangle tangled with bestiality was released from jail on Tuesday, Oct. 7.  

Erica Corpening is facing three counts of sexually abusing an animal. The two other people involved, who are facing similar charges, are also out on bond.   

Former teacher Chanelle Lincoln was first charged with one count of sexually abusing her dog in October 2024 after an explicit video was sent to her principal at Pocahontas Middle School. Corpening was the person who sent that video.  

Corpening agreed in court to get a mental health evaluation, wear a tracker and live at an address approved by the court. Just a week and a half before, she was re-arrested for violating her bond after the Commonwealth Attorney said she reported three different addresses to three different agencies.  

Court documents say Lincoln and Corpening were both in a romantic relationship with Kent Montgomery who is also facing a bestiality charge. 

Montgomery allegedly recorded Lincoln sexually abusing her dog over FaceTime in 2021. The two broke up in 2022 and he and Corpening began a relationship.

Corpening later found the video and held onto it for a year and a half before sending it.  

Corpening found the video in June 2023 while going through his phone when she believed he was cheating on her. She allegedly blackmailed Lincoln with it, and sent it out on Oct. 2, 2024.

“Any good lawyer is going to tell their client, ‘I don’t want you discussing the case with anybody but me,'" said 8News Legal Analyst Russ Stone.

Now all three of them are not allowed to talk to each other and all are under a gag order. 

Stone told 8News this could help cool things down. 

“We don’t know for sure because we don’t know what’s in the judge’s head, but it appears that there’s so much animosity and ranker between these parties that it’s kind of a public safety issue," he said. "They just want things to calm down so that everybody can proceed with their case in an orderly fashion, which is what we all want.” 

The judge said in a September hearing that it seems like Corpening just “sat on it and used it to get somebody in trouble.” He said if she’d had the video for a few days and reported it to authorities, she wouldn’t be prosecuted.

Lincoln was supposed to be in court on Oct. 7 as well, but documents show her attorney asked to move it because they don’t think it’d be safe for them to be in the same building. 

“The court has in its interest the notion to just keep these people apart as much as possible," Stone said. 

Corpening had about 10 family members supporting her in court who were excited about her release. She’ll be back in court in November and Lincoln and Montgomery will be in court later this month.