Authorities arrested a Florida woman accused of paying to create videos of primates being tortured in what are known as “animal crush” videos, according to prosecutors and WJAX-TV.
Nicole DeVilbiss, 35, was charged with conspiring to create the videos, WJAX reported.
Under federal law, animal crushing is defined as “actual conduct in which one or more living non-human mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibians, is purposely crushed, burned, drowned, suffocated, impaled, or otherwise subjected to serious bodily injury,” officials said.
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Court records show authorities began to investigate DeVilbiss in September after getting a tip from investigators in Norfolk, Virginia. Investigators were looking into a group chat on the instant messaging platform Telegram that was “dedicated to the abuse, torture, and death of various-aged monkeys,” officials said in an affidavit filed in court.
The group included about 60 people from across the globe. Members described DeVilbiss to authorities as one of the group’s administrators, tasked with determining who was removed from the group and who was allowed in.
Authorities executed a search warrant at DeVilbiss’ home in Jacksonville on Tuesday. In an interview with an investigator, officials said she “admitted to being in multiple group chats dedicated to the abuse and torture of monkeys” and to sharing “dozens” of videos showing monkeys being abused and tortured.
She said that “her initial intentions were to help stop the torture of monkeys, but later transitioned to a dark place where she found relief from viewing monkey torture videos,” according to court records.
Authorities said that she paid two people, including the leader of the chat group, a total of $60 to create videos of monkeys being tortured.
If convicted, she could face a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
www.kiro7.com
Nicole DeVilbiss, 35, was charged with conspiring to create the videos, WJAX reported.
Under federal law, animal crushing is defined as “actual conduct in which one or more living non-human mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibians, is purposely crushed, burned, drowned, suffocated, impaled, or otherwise subjected to serious bodily injury,” officials said.
[ Read more on ActionNewsJax.com ]
Court records show authorities began to investigate DeVilbiss in September after getting a tip from investigators in Norfolk, Virginia. Investigators were looking into a group chat on the instant messaging platform Telegram that was “dedicated to the abuse, torture, and death of various-aged monkeys,” officials said in an affidavit filed in court.
The group included about 60 people from across the globe. Members described DeVilbiss to authorities as one of the group’s administrators, tasked with determining who was removed from the group and who was allowed in.
Authorities executed a search warrant at DeVilbiss’ home in Jacksonville on Tuesday. In an interview with an investigator, officials said she “admitted to being in multiple group chats dedicated to the abuse and torture of monkeys” and to sharing “dozens” of videos showing monkeys being abused and tortured.
She said that “her initial intentions were to help stop the torture of monkeys, but later transitioned to a dark place where she found relief from viewing monkey torture videos,” according to court records.
Authorities said that she paid two people, including the leader of the chat group, a total of $60 to create videos of monkeys being tortured.
If convicted, she could face a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
Woman accused of conspiring to make ‘animal crush’ videos
Authorities said the woman paid to have videos of monkeys being tortured made.
www.kiro7.com
