A 33-year-old woman from Catlin, Illinois, pleaded guilty to conspiring to create and distribute, and distributing, illegal “animal crush” videos depicting the severe abuse of monkeys, according to federal prosecutors.
Court records show that Amanda Leigh Fourez was an active member of several chat groups dedicated to creating and sharing videos depicting the sexual torture of monkeys, including videos of baby and adult monkeys being burned and having their genitals mutilated, according to the Department of Justice. Fourez reportedly paid thousands of dollars to aid in the creation of these videos, then helped archive, control, and distribute the material through online chat groups. She now faces up to seven years in prison and up to half a million dollars in fines.
In a related case, 44-year-old Joseph Garrett Buckland from Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to create and distribute “animal crush” videos. Buckland admitted that he paid to commission monkey torture videos on more than 15 occasions and shared them within online chat groups dedicated to the content. He faces up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both.
Lady Freethinker and Action for Primates first uncovered the underground networks producing horrific baby monkey torture content in 2021, after exposing a private group that funded custom torture videos. Evidence gathered through our investigations contributed to the BBC documentary “The Monkey Haters,” and has been shared with law enforcement agencies around the world.
While the suffering inflicted on these monkeys cannot be undone, continued action by law enforcement is critical to dismantling the networks responsible for producing and distributing these disturbing videos. Lady Freethinker is grateful to the investigators and prosecutors who continue to seek justice for the innocent victims of this horrifying global phenomenon.
