After obtaining a search warrant, authorities charged Nicole Devilbiss, 35, with a count of conspiracy to create and distribute animal crush videos — which are defined in federal criminal law as occurring when animals are “purposefully crushed, burned, drowned, suffocated, impaled, or otherwise subjected to serious bodily injury.”
A Florida woman who reportedly paid to have monkey torture videos
created and posted on the online platform Telegram is now facing
federal animal crush charges and federal prison, if convicted.
Investigators who looked into a tip from a person in Norfolk,
Virginia, uncovered about 60 users in a Telegram group dedicated to
the abuse, torture, and killing of monkeys of various ages.
The investigation determined that the woman reportedly was an
administrator of the group, had commented on the torture videos, and
also had paid two individuals $60 to create and post a torture video
to the group, according to news.
After obtaining a search warrant, authorities charged Nicole
Devilbiss, 35, with a count of conspiracy to create and distribute
animal crush videos — which are defined in federal criminal law as
occurring when animals are “purposefully crushed, burned, drowned,
suffocated, impaled, or otherwise subjected to serious bodily
injury.”
Devilbiss reportedly told investigators that she had originally
aimed “to help stop torture of monkeys, but later transitioned to a
dark place where she found relief from viewing monkey torture
videos,” according to court documents.
She allegedly added that she had shared “dozens” of torture videos
with other group members, according to news.
The U.S. State’s Attorney’s Office has said that the complaint is a
formal charge of violations of federal law and that defendants are
innocent until proven guilty.
If convicted, Devilbiss faces up to five years in federal prison.
Lady Freethinker has been tirelessly investigating postings to
social media platforms of monkey torture for years, which has helped
lead to several arrests as well as the BBC documentary “The Monkey
Haters.” We remain aggrieved by the sadistic nature of these crimes
against primates and are grateful that law enforcement is taking
this suffering seriously.