OHIO / NORTH CAROLINA — A federal grand jury has indicted two individuals for their alleged roles in online groups that created and distributed videos depicting extreme violence and sexual abuse against monkeys, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday.
Katrina D. Favret, of Tennessee, and Robert M. Craig, of North Carolina, are charged with conspiring alongside previously indicted Ronald P. Bedra, of Etna, Ohio, to produce so-called “animal crush videos.” Favret faces additional charges for allegedly creating and distributing these videos.
According to court documents, the defendants worked with others to coordinate the production of videos showing sadistic violence against both juvenile and adult monkeys. The indictment alleges that the conspirators used encrypted chat platforms to send payments to individuals in Indonesia who carried out the abuse on camera.
Gruesome acts detailed in indictment
The videos created as part of the conspiracy allegedly included disturbing acts such as sodomizing monkeys with a heated screwdriver and mutilating a monkey’s genitals with scissors.
The case is part of an ongoing federal effort to prosecute individuals involved in the production and distribution of animal crush videos, which are illegal under federal law.
The Department of Justice has not released additional details regarding upcoming court appearances for Favret and Craig.
The indictment reveals the disturbing extent of the alleged international network involved in producing extreme animal abuse content.
