A man has been jailed for 20 months for posting “horrific” videos of baby monkeys being tortured for entertainment. Peter Stanley shared three videos on a private Facebook site, which has since been shut down, showing the torture of baby long-tailed macaque monkeys. His actions were directly linked to intentional harm of animals for entertainment purposes.
The 43-year-old posted the videos along with disturbing comments, such as: “A fave of mine this one.” An animal welfare group spotted the videos and reported them to the police. Detectives traced Stanley, raided his home, and uncovered a mobile phone containing 75 videos of monkeys being tortured. Additionally, searches on Stanley’s internet history included terms like “How to tell if a baby monkey is distressed” and “Horse Porn.”
Stanley admitted to three counts of publishing obscene material, leading to his sentencing at Liverpool Crown Court. The arrest followed the airing of a BBC TV documentary titled ‘The Monkey Haters’, which revealed the existence of streaming videos depicting the torture of baby monkeys, primarily filmed in South East Asia. These videos showed deliberate infliction of pain and fear on captive infant monkeys, causing both physical harm and emotional distress.
Thomas Quirk, a senior crown prosecutor, described the videos posted by Stanley as “truly horrific.” The content included scenes of sexual torture inflicted on animals, making it a distressing case for both law enforcement and the prosecution team. The police investigation uncovered a wider network involved in sharing such content globally.
Chief Inspector Kevin Lacks-Kelly, head of the UK National Wildlife Crime Unit, commended the collaborative effort involving multiple agencies to crack down on these online torture networks. He stressed that there is no place for animal abusers to hide, expressing hope that the sentencing sends a clear message against such heinous acts.
Sarah Kite, co-founder of Action for Primates, applauded Merseyside Police for taking action against the distribution of these appalling videos. She urged social media companies like Meta to address the issue of allowing graphic and violent content on their platforms. The prosecution of Stanley serves as a reminder that such behaviour is not only repulsive but also criminal.
The case highlights the importance of combating animal cruelty and promoting accountability for those who engage in such abhorrent acts. It underscores the ongoing efforts to protect vulnerable creatures and hold perpetrators responsible for their actions.