Former Henrico teacher charged with sexually abusing her dog appears in court

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- The former teacher of a Henrico County middle school who was charged with sexually abusing her dog appeared in court on Tuesday.

8News was the first to report on the case of Chanelle Renee Lincoln, a former teacher at Pocahontas Middle School, who faces the charge of sexually abusing an animal after the school's principal, Leah Wiedenhoft, received a video of the alleged incident.

Lincoln appeared in Henrico County Circuit Court on Tuesday, July 1, where she was assigned another attorney. During the proceedings, she also requested the ability to travel to visit friends and family in New Jersey and Massachusetts for mental health reasons, which is expected to be addressed at an upcoming status hearing slated for Thursday, July 10.

Lincoln worked for Henrico County Public Schools from August 2019 to October 2024, according to a spokesperson for the school division. She reportedly resigned from her teaching position at Pocahontas Middle School on Oct. 28, 2024.

According to court documents, earlier that month, on Oct. 2, 2024, a detective with the Henrico County Police Division responded to Pocahontas Middle School in response to a “suspicious video” reportedly sent to Principal Wiedenhoft that was reported to be “sexual in nature.”

The detective reportedly spoke to staff and viewed the video himself, and determined that in the video, Lincoln can be seen “engaging in sexual acts with a small dog.”

Court documents said Lincoln was arrested and charged with sexually abusing an animal on Oct. 2. Under the terms of her bond, Lincoln is barred from traveling and contact with animals while the case is ongoing.

Lincoln was reportedly interviewed regarding the incident and confirmed it was her in the video, adding that the dog was her 3-year-old pet named Milo. Court documents stated that after a search warrant was signed, the dog was taken to the Henrico Police Animal Shelter.

Lincoln reportedly said that she had been “having an issue” with another woman who Lincoln said had threatened her, had obtained sexually explicit videos of Lincoln and would send them to the principal.

According to court documents, Lincoln and the woman who reported the video were both in romantic relationships with the same man.