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October 10, 2024

Still another variation on animal abuse produces another notable federal sentencing

Over the last month, I have noticed and blogged about a number of notable recent sentencing stories involving aninals (see links to prior posts below).  I am not sure if I should keep blogging in this genre, but I am sure this latest story, headlined "Etna monkey torture video producer gets sentenced to federal prison," is another variation on an ugly theme: 

A federal judge sentenced an Etna man to more than four years in prison after he pleaded guilty to charges that he conspired to create and distribute videos depicting torture and sexual abuse against monkeys.

U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus Jr. sentenced Ronald P. Bedra, 42, to 4½ years in prison Thursday, according to a news release. In April, he pleaded guilty to creating and distributing “animal crush” videos and distributing them, the release says.

Investigators say Bedra conspired with other people to create and distribute the videos, which depict sadistic violent acts against baby and adult monkeys. Using encrypted chat applications, Bedra sent money to people in Indonesia willing to commit the tortious acts on camera, the release says. Some of the videos contain images of monkeys’ fingers and limbs being severed and others abused with a heated screwdriver, according to investigators.

“We will punish participants of sadistic conspiracies like this one no matter their role in the crime,” U.S. Attorney Kenneth Parker said in the release. “As this case shows, even if you do not commit the torture firsthand, you will be held accountable for promoting this obscene animal abuse.”

Investigators also said Bedra mailed a thumb drive to a co-conspirator in Wisconsin containing more than 60 videos of monkeys being tortured.

“Defendant Ronald Bedra commissioned grotesque videos of torture of juvenile and baby monkeys,” Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division said in the release. “Such appalling conduct has no place in our society. The Justice Department stands ready to prosecute individuals engaging in this activity to the fullest extent of the law.”

Prior recent related posts:

October 10, 2024 at 06:37 PM | Permalink

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