Two British women have been charged after a global monkey torture ring was uncovered, which involved setting the animals on fire and even putting them in a blender.
A year-long BBC investigation found the cruel ring was operating around the world, with hundreds of people paying Indonesians to torture and kill baby long-tailed macaques on videos.
Britons Holly LeGresley, 37, from Kidderminster, and Adriana Orme, 55, from Upton-upon Severn, were charged in March with publishing an obscene article and causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.
Michael Macartney, 50, nicknamed the ‘King of Torture’, was charged in Virginia with conspiracy to create and distribute images of animal crushing.
The accused was one of three key dealers identified amid an investigation into cruel monkey torture gangs.
Two British women have been charged after a global monkey gang involved in torturing the animals was discovered.
In a secretly filmed video, M Ajis Rasjana talks to an undercover journalist. He says that if he is ‘very, very angry’ he hits the monkeys against the wall.
Macartney managed multiple chat groups for monkey torture enthusiasts from around the world on the encrypted messaging app Telegram.
Messaging groups were used to submit suggestions for monkey torture videos, such as setting monkeys on fire or even putting one in a blender.
The video tips were then sent along with payments to video creators in Indonesia who carried out the abuse, sometimes killing baby long-tailed monkeys.
Prosecutors accuse Macartney of raising funds from his chat groups and distributing videos showing “sadistic torture, murder and sexually mutilation of animals.” She has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy charges and faces up to five years in prison.
Speaking to BBC Eye’s investigations team last year, Macartney said: “Do you want to see monkeys in bad shape?” I could take it to you.
Talking about the moment he joined his first monkey group on Telegram, he said: ‘They had a survey organized.
‘Do you want a hammer involved? Do you want pliers involved? Do you want a screwdriver?
Three participants, including Macartney, have already been charged in the United States, according to the bbc.
Two people who carried out torture were arrested and jailed in Indonesia, while three women have been arrested in the UK, two of whom have now been charged.
The torture ring began on YouTube, before moving to private groups on Telegram, the BBC World Service investigation found.
In a secretly filmed video, M Ajis Rasjana tells an undercover journalist that when he is “very, very angry” he hits monkeys against the wall.
The torture ring began on YouTube, before moving to private groups on Telegram, the BBC World Service investigation found.
He noticed that he slammed a monkey’s head into the wall and had blood coming out of its mouth, which he said was “pretty cool,” while laughing.
BBC journalists worked undercover in one of the main torture groups on Telegram, where hundreds of people gathered to plan torture ideas and commission people in Indonesia and other Asian nations to implement them.
The group intended to make custom videos depicting the abuse, torture and sometimes murder of baby long-tailed macaque monkeys.
The BBC located the torturers in Indonesia and the buyers and distributors in the United States.
They also managed to access an international police effort to have them punished for their actions.
At least 20 people have been investigated around the world, including three women living in the United Kingdom who were arrested by police in 2022.