US man who sent out 'Wish List' of monkey torture ideas is jailed on 'Crush' charges: using a clamp to slowly crush their skulls, smashing genitals, pulling all their teeth( list of frequent prosicutions)

 

Infant long-tailed macaque abused on social media
Action for Primates

Action for Primates and Lady Freethinker have welcomed the jail sentence handed to Drexel Venero, a US individual, convicted of Conspiracy to Create and Distribute Animal Crushing Videos.

Venero, from Maryland and who had pleaded guilty to the charges, has received an 18-month sentence with three years' supervised release. Using various names, including "Mr Ape", Venero created his own private online groups on an encrypted messaging platform for the purpose of creating and distributing animal crush videos depicting the horrifying torture and killing of baby monkeys. Venero joined with co-conspirators to pay for and have torture videos made for the group by people in Indonesia. At one point, he sent out a "wish list" of torture requests which, according to court documents, included hammering a monkey's limbs until they were flat; smashing their genitalia; pulling their teeth; cutting off their eyelids; and using a C-clamp to crush their skull slowly.

This sentencing is the latest in a series of arrests, convictions and imprisonment following Action for Primate's and Lady Freethinker's work exposing a monkey torture group called "Million Tears"—led by Ohio man and former school teacher Ronald Bedra, who went by the online alias "DemonSwordSoulCrusher". Bedra was recently sentenced to 54 months in prison for conspiracy to create and spread monkey torture videos. Bedra was a leader in an online group called "Million Tears", which commissioned the sexual abuse, torture and killing of infant monkeys. The evidence uncovered during an investigation by Action for Primates and Lady Freethinker—including videos and screenshots of chats from him and other group members—was handed over to the US authorities.

Members of the "Million Tears" group could pay for their own "private monkey" to be filmed while being tortured through the member's chosen method, or several members could make smaller contributions towards a fee for their share of a "community monkey"—which allowed participants to request specific, depraved acts of cruelty and torture to be inflicted on this shared monkey and decide how the monkey was to be killed.

Following "Million Tears", various other groups sprung up dedicated to the torture, mutilation, and killing of infant long-tailed macaques.

Action for Primates and Lady Freethinker assisted Homeland Security Investigations with its investigation into Drexel Venero. Venero's sentencing follows that of Virginia man Michael Macartney, known online as "The Torture King", who was recently sentenced to 40 months in prison for his role in a global monkey torture ring. Macartney was featured in the BBC documentary The Monkey Haters—for which Lady Freethinker and Action for Primates provided intelligence and information.

Baby monkey torture videos are often purchased through encrypted chats on Telegram, using cryptocurrency and other online payment methods. The videos have been re-posted on major social media sites such as Facebook and YouTube.

Creating and distributing "animal crush" videos is a federal crime in the US, punishable by up to seven years in prison under the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act (PACT Act). Prosecutions in the US and UK span late 2023 through April 2025—and more are expected to follow. They include:

• Dec 2023—Kenneth Herrera, a Wisconsin pharmacist, sentenced to one year in prison for creating, selling and distributing an animal crushing video
• April 2024—David Christopher Noble of Oregon, sentenced to 48 months for conspiracy to engage in animal crushing
• June 2024—Nicole Devilbiss of Florida, sentenced to four years and three months for conspiracy to create and distribute animal crush videos
• June 2024—Nicholas T. Dryden of Ohio and Giancarlo Morelli of New Jersey, charged for their roles in crush videos—Dryden's charges include distribution and receipt of a visual depiction of the sexual abuse of children because a minor was paid to abuse the monkeys
• September 2024—Peter Stanley in the UK, sentenced to 20 months in prison for his role in the spread of torture videos, including depicting the sexual abuse of baby monkeys
• October 2024—"Torture King" Michael Macartney of Virginia, sentenced to 40 months in prison for role in monkey torture ring
• October 2024— "Demon Sword Soulcrusher" Ronald Bedra of Ohio, sentenced to 54 months in prison for creating and distributing videos depicting acts of extreme violence and sexual abuse against monkeys
• November 2024—Holly LeGresley in the UK, sentenced to two years in prison for publishing obscene articles and intentionally encouraging animal cruelty
• November 2024—Adriana Orme in the UK, sentenced to 15 months in prison for publishing obscene articles and facilitating the torture of monkeys
• February 2025—Jeffrey Radtke of Minnesota, sentenced to 21 months and three years supervised release for conspiracy to create and distribute animal crushing videos
• January 2025—Stacey Storey of US, pleads guilty to charges of with conspiracy to create and distribute animal crushing videos and alleged to have amassed over 675 monkey crush and abuse videos

Additionally, several people in Indonesia have been sent to prison for their involvement in the torture and killing of monkeys:

• December 2022—Asep Yadi Nurul Hikmah charged with animal torture and the sale of a protected species and sentenced to three years in prison
• 2023—M Ajis Rasjana sentenced to eight months—the maximum sentence available for torturing an animal
• August 2024—Romy Sasmita sentenced to seven months for animal abuse and one year for other offences

Sarah Kite, co-founder, Action for Primates, stated: We welcome the prison sentences handed down to Venero and others involved in facilitating the violent and sadistic torture and killing of baby monkeys. These people need to know that there are legal consequences to their vile and depraved activities. We sincerely hope this prosecution and punishment will act as an important deterrent to others.

Nina Jackel, founder, Lady Freethinker, stated: The immense suffering inflicted on helpless infant macaques purely for human 'amusement' in these underground groups is heartbreaking and must not be tolerated. I'm grateful to law enforcement for their diligent work in investigating these brutal acts and seeking justice.