Two British women charged over global monkey torture network
Two British women have been arrested in connection with a sinister ‘monkey torture’ ring, which saw animals beaten to death with hammers, set on fire and even put in blenders.
The group was exposed following a year-long investigation by the BBC, which uncovered a global network of sadists who paid Indonedians to kill and torture infant long-tailed macaques on video.
British women Holly LeGresley, 37, of Kidderminster, and Adriana Orme, 55, of Upton-upon Severn, were among those charged with publishing an obscene article and causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal.
According to prosecutors, Ms LeGresley went by the screen name ‘The Immolator’ and was allegedly involved in commissioning some of the most extreme videos.
Ringleader Michael Macartney, 50, dubbed the ‘Torture King’, was charged in Virginia with conspiracy to create and distribute animal-crushing footage.
If convicted, the former motorcycle gang member faces up to five years in prison.
Macartney is accused by prosecutors of running a number of group chats of messaging app Telegram, in which he would source ideas for sadistic torture videos before commissioning videomakers in Indonesia to carry out the twisted acts.
Speaking to the BBC Eye investigations team last year, Mr Macartney said: ‘You want to see monkeys get messed up? I could bring it to you.’
Describing himself as ‘king of this demented world’, Macartney told investigators the moment he joined his first Telegram monkey group: ‘They had a poll set up.
‘Do you want a hammer involved? Do you want pliers involved? Do you want a screwdriver?’
Other videos including putting the infant monkeys in blenders or immolating them while they were still alive.
The resulting footage was ‘the most grotesque thing I have ever seen,’ he added.
Macartney is accused by prosecutors of collecting money and distributing videos depicting the ‘torture, murder, and sexually sadistic mutilation of animals, specifically juvenile and adult monkeys’.
He is understood to have cooperated with the Department of Homeland Security and is expected to plead guilty to conspiracy charges later this month, which will see him jailed for around five years.
Further charges are expected to be brought against some of the other 20 people investigated in connection with the network.
Two people who carried out torture videos were arrested and imprisoned in Indonesia, while three women have been arrested in the UK, two of whom have now been charged.
Covert footage filmed by the BBC shows monkey torturer M Ajis Rasjana telling an undercover reporter that when he is ‘very, very angry’ he hits the monkeys against the wall.
He noted that he banged a monkey’s head against the wall and blood was coming out of its mouth, which he said was ‘so cool’, while laughing.
Other members of the group included Nicole Devilbiss, 35, and former US Air Force official David Christopher Noble, 48, who was previously court-martialed and dismissed from military service. Both are facing up to five years in prison for their roles in the gang.
At least 20 people have been under investigation around the world, with international law enforcement agencies co-ordinating to have them punished for their actions.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.