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Former UIC Gymnast Convicted of Animal Cruelty, State's Attorney Says

By Erin Meyer | March 26, 2013 6:46pm | Updated on March 26, 2013 7:23pm
 Kyle Voissem poured boiling water on his dog, a mountain cur named Byron, after it peed on his floor, reports show.
Kyle Voissem poured boiling water on his dog, a mountain cur named Byron, after it peed on his floor, reports show.
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Facebook/Byron's Pain

CHICAGO — A former star University of Illinois at Chicago gymnast was found guilty of one count of animal cruelty Tuesday, officials said.

Kyle Voissem was convicted of animal cruelty in a bench trial that began Monday and concluded Tuesday, the state's attorney's office said.

Voissem was charged with a felony count of animal cruelty in January 2012, upped from a previous misdemeanor charge from December 2011, the Sun-Times reported.

Voissem was making macaroni and cheese in his Pilsen apartment in the 1700 block of South Des Plaines Street in October 2011 when his dog, a mountain cur, urinated on the floor. Voissem threw scalding water on the dog, the Tribune reported.

A psychological evaluation was ordered and Voissem's sentencing was scheduled for May 20, the state's attorney's office said.

Voissem was removed from UIC's men's gymnastics team after his arrest, the Sun-Times reported.

A Facebook page following the case called "Byron's Pain" has nearly 4,000 "Likes." Byron was nursed back by the Anti-Cruelty Society of Chicago, according to its website.

"Throughout all of this, Bryon was extremely affectionate and still wanted to please people," the website said. "Byron had a short stay at the Society, a total of 12 days, before his forever family showed up to take him into their loving home where he now resides."