New Jersey man receives four-year prison sentence for producing videos of monkey torture and mutilation.
A New Jersey man has been sentenced to four years in federal prison for his involvement in the creation and distribution of videos depicting the torture and abuse of monkeys, according to a statement released by prosecutors on Tuesday. Giancarlo Morelli, a resident of Wharton, entered a guilty plea earlier this year in a federal court located in Cincinnati, Ohio. His charges stemmed from participation in online groups focused on producing and sharing graphic footage characterized by extreme violence and sexual abuse against primates.
The investigation revealed that conspirators, including Morelli, used encrypted chat applications to facilitate payments to individuals in Indonesia, who were responsible for carrying out the requested acts of cruelty and recording them on video. The resulting material, often termed “animal crush videos,” contained shocking scenes of baby and adolescent monkeys subjected to various forms of torture, including severe physical harm to their genitals. According to court documents, Morelli paid an individual a total of 19 times for these distressing videos and provided detailed feedback regarding their content, even offering suggestions for future productions.
In a statement, Acting Special Agent in Charge Adam Lawson of the FBI’s Cincinnati Field Office described Morelli’s actions as “beyond disturbing” and “repulsive,” underscoring the significance of the case in highlighting the exploitation of animals for the sake of depraved entertainment.
On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Susan J. Dlott sentenced Morelli to 48 months behind bars, followed by three years of supervised release. Additionally, he was ordered to pay ,000 in fines.
U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II for the Southern District of Ohio emphasized the severity of the offenses related to animal cruelty and the ramifications for individuals involved in such heinous acts. He stated that individuals who pay others to torture animals or share images of these gross abuses will be held accountable as if they had committed the acts themselves. The sentence reflects a firm commitment to rooting out and punishing all participants in such “despicable and sadistic conspiracies,” reinforcing the legal system’s role in protecting vulnerable creatures from cruelty and exploitation.
Media News Source highlights this case as a part of a growing effort to combat animal cruelty and the dark web marketplaces that facilitate such abhorrent activities. Through both legal penalties and public awareness campaigns, authorities aim to deter individuals from engaging in similar behavior in the future.
