M Jenny Edwards, Criminologist

LATEST UPDATES . . .

Monkey Torture Ring, OH - A federal judge in Cincinnati sentenced Giancarlo Morelli of NJ to 48 months in prison for what she described as "the most horrific things I've heard abut in three decades on the bench". Morelli was part of an online monkey torture ring that paid to see animals tortured to death. Morelli's personal contribution was at least $1200.

Animals Tortured on Train, IRELAND - About a dozen youths including an 11-year-old boy, boarded a train with boxes full of chickens, ducks, a rooster, and a cat they had purchased at a nearby horse fair. During the journey from Athlone to Dublin, the boys walked through the train dragging one of the chickens, and talked about sex acts with the duck. One of the birds was burned. When a female passenger complained, her hair was nearly set on fire.

Sexual assault of infants, England - Ian Watkins, former lead singer of the Welsh rock band Lostprophets was convicted in 2013 for child and infant rape, and possession of bestiality pornography. He was killed in prison while  serving a 29-year sentence. One of two men charged with Watkins' death is U.K. drill rapper Broadday (Rashid Gedel), who was serving time for murder.

Monkey Torture Ring, NH - The trial of Ms. Lynn Seymour will be delayed until next year to give her attorney time to review files on her computer, including the video evidence of abuse and torture of baby monkeys. Seymour is currently out on bond. She's allowed to keep her fish tank but is barred from contact with other animals pending her trial.

Animals Tortured and Filmed, MN - A Minnesota YouTuber has been charged with putting animals in enclosures and filmed them being drowned, skinned, and dismembered alive by larger or more predatory animals. Bryan Edison charged 99 cents to $99.99 per month for subscribers who could request specific kinds of torture.

Arrests, Indictments, Convictions

In 2023, A BBC documentary exposed an international ring of individuals who created, viewed, and shared explicitly violent images of monkey torture. There were hundreds of people involved at all levels – from those who merely watched the videos to those who paid for violent fantasies to be acted out.

Groups like these often start out as private “channels” on YouTube, where users can “comment” on the content, and then move to encrypted “servers” on sites like Discord or Telegram, where they can chat and share additional content.

Essentially, channels and servers act in much the same way. The user signs into the account, selects an option to add or create a channel (or server), gives it a name and a profile picture, and then invites other people to subscribe.

How Torture Rings are Created

On YouTube, once a channel reaches 1000 subscribers, the site can begin earning money through ads or other means. Discord and Telegram servers are not monetized by the platform, but servers can be set up to charge a membership fee, or charge fees for various things, such as viewing or downloading videos.

Channels and servers are a great way to connect with people who have similar interests. Someone who's a monkey advocate, for example, might have a channel that shares information on how to get involved in monkey conservation, and offer volunteer opportunities in far away places. The channel might utilize a payment processor to accept donations or directly book a tour.

On the flip side, channels and servers are also a good way to hide bad behavior. Some sites are accessible only if you know where and how to look for them. Visitors may be heavily screened and monitored. Content may include sexual imagery, explicitly pornographaphic or violent. Some users may actually be predators looking for vulnerable victims to exploit.