A man from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to 38 months in prison and three years of supervised release for participating in online groups that created and shared videos of monkeys being tortured, mutilated, and sexually abused, according to a press release from the Department of Justice.
Robert Berndt pleaded guilty in May to conspiring to create and distribute these horrific “animal crush videos.”
Court documents state that Berndt conspired with others to use encrypted messaging platforms to send money to people in Indonesia who carried out the specific torture requests against baby and adult monkeys on camera.
In 2021, Lady Freethinker and Action for Primates exposed the hidden online network dedicated to the abuse of baby monkeys after uncovering a private group that paid for custom torture videos. Findings from our investigations were shared with law enforcement agencies worldwide and also contributed to the BBC documentary “The Monkey Haters.”
Since that time, numerous individuals involved with these groups have been charged and convicted.
The cruelty inflicted on these defenseless monkeys is both devastating and unacceptable. Although Berndt’s sentence is an important step, dismantling these networks will require continued scrutiny, enforcement, and public pressure. Lady Freethinker remains committed to exposing this abuse and pushing for justice until all animals are free from exploitation.
